Why Margot Kidder in "Superman" is the Quintessential Lois Lane

Scene from Superman
For most audiences, the 1978 Superman adaptation was best known for Christopher Reeve, whose schoolboy charm made him an upbeat superhero. Sure, the film had a cornball subtext between a goofy John Williams score and a hammy Lex Luthor played by Gene Hackman, but there's one particular performance that tends to get overlooked. It's the person who best embodies the audience, whose inner monologue during "Can You Read My Mind" may raise chuckles, but there's still a romanticism and awe of Reeve's Superman that comes through in the stare of Margot Kidder's Lois Lane. She's the romantic interest who may be a bit dimwitted at times, but has an enthusiasm that no other cinematic version of Lois Lane has captured. She genuinely is fascinated by Superman, and it's what makes her the essential version of the character. 
To be fair, there haven't been as many Lois Lanes as there are Batman sidekicks. There isn't much to compare to, save for maybe Man of Steel's Amy Adams: a far more nihilistic and dark take on the man from Krypton. But for those who like to imagine a superhero world where our heroes are friendly and present the best of society, then Reeve is the perfect embodiment. He has an assurance in his voice and a comical disguise in his human alter ego Clark Kent. This is a world that may be rooted in D.C. Comics' most iconic character, but it is as much rooted in slapstick comedy and action movies like The Poseidon Adventure. It's a merging of genres to create a new spectacle, one that had only really been defined up to that point with the cheesy Batman and Wonder Woman TV shows. Today, Superman looks downright silly at times and even visually and narratively inconsistent to comics. However, there's another thing to consider: it just had more heart.
Lois and Clark work at The Daily Planet together as journalists reporting on the events of Metropolis. Their work together creates a cute conflict with each other that eventually draws them together. Reeve gives a limbering force of clumsiness that hides his masculinity. It's the perfect subversion for when he's Superman and catches the eye of Lois. It can be seen in the moment of the first interview on Lois' balcony. Superman is clearly flirting, showing off his X-ray vision in ways that may seem intrusive, but come across as affectionate understanding of each other. Lois has a genuine interest in Superman that can be seen through her smile and the urges that she hides while trying to write notes. It becomes a romantic comedy, creating a love interest that will define the archetype in superhero movies to come. In the world, she is strong and independent, yet her curiosity infectiously makes her almost childlike. It's the moment where she falls in love.
It all feels real because audiences have always had a relationship to Superman. He has always been a symbol of hope to those in danger. It shines through in how he swoops down the side of a building, rescuing a helicopter with a busted engine. He's that force of good that makes us grateful to have him. Yet Lois is the one who gets to be intimate and understand him on a deeper level. It's not just in the way she questions him, but in the way that Superman gives her an earnest quip. Her screams may be at times comical, fitting more into a heightened horror, but it captures just how effective Superman's rescue can be. Even at the scariest moment, he can come out of nowhere to make our lives easier. The way she gazes into his eyes captures a safety of someone totally in trust. It's hard enough to portray someone rescuing someone while flying, but to convince audiences that the person being saved is at peace is just as tough.
This comes to full fruition in the scene where she sings "Can You Read My Mind." She sings of his ability to make her feel younger and more innocent. The camera flies around as the two fly through the sky. There's a fluid poetry to it all that captures Lois giving herself fully over to Superman's trust. She could be dropped at any moment. It's such a delicate balance that suggests something deeper about her relationship to Superman and even to Clark Kent. Like most people, she can't tell them apart, but there's still enough familiarity to suggest that something is there. Lois may be an award-winning writer, but she's just innocent enough to make this relationship work.
Kidder was perfect for the role because she had enough of a deadpan quality to her performance. She could play a convincing reporter in the scenes that required it. She could take authority and correct Clark without seeming out of place. She was someone who knew how to play off of Reeve, an actor who occasionally had one eye winking at the camera. She added a layer of curiosity that could be seen in her voice. Her performance had enough layers that she could fall into disarmed girlishness when necessary. She fit the tone of the film so well that it managed to add comedic charm without throwing the action scenes totally into farce. There's a desire in how she viewed Superman that not only reflected a romantic interest, but one that was as curious as the audience. We may have known more than her, but we also were her as we were whisked away from our droll day job lifestyle and taken through the sky with a man who cared selflessly for us. 
Superman will always remain a pinnacle of superhero cinema just for how it formatted the genre into something grand. It may be a far cry from the 21st century version, but it all had to start somewhere. The film was sold as being about believing that a man could fly. The special effects did that, but it was also at how the citizens of Metropolis related to him. Even then, it's likely that Superman couldn't be humanized in an interesting way without Kidder's Lois. She may have been goofy and at times too helpless, but she embodied someone willing to be rescued. She was also someone with agency and some credibility who could correct Clark and talk to him like a person. Everyone else held up Superman as a superhero, but Lois made him something else, something more interesting. It's why she'll always be important, and it's largely owed to Kidder's charisma. She may have been one of the more underappreciated actors in a film featuring Reeve, Hackman, and Marlon Brando, but the film wouldn't be the same without her. 

Comments