Everyone’s acting in this film is good, really. Like you said, Reeve’s and Kidder’s chemistry is just pitch perfect, especially in the interview scene. I would have cut the “Can You Read My Mind?” poem– it’s arguably too much and makes the scene go on waaay too long– but it does gets its point across (Lois Lane’s completely taken by Supes). Kidder captures both Lois’ tough and tender sides very well, although I don’t get why they decided to give her spelling problems. Jimmy doesn’t get much to do, but he does it well, and I think the Kents deserve special praise, too: Glenn Ford’s “You are here for a reason” is one of the lines that always comes to mind when I think about the film.

Totally agree with you about Gene Hackman, too. I mean, the film doesn’t take Lex Luthor seriously at all, which is a bit of a bummer, but that’s not really Hackman’s fault and frankly, he pulls off goofy Luthor brilliantly. Warren Beatty and Valerie Perrine are also great as Otis and Eve Teschmacher; they’ve got this glorious chemistry with Luthor that’s a delight to watch (you get the feeling the actors got on pretty well, especially Gene and Valerie).

As for Marlon Brando… I read some Richard Donner interviews where he said he had a lot of fun with Marlon Brando on the set, so maybe the apparent boredom’s just the stoicism Brando was trying to bring to the role. I’ve read (and possibly heard, I forget) that Brando refused to memorize his lines and read them from cue cards held during filming and, infamously, off of baby Kal-El’s diaper. I think he’s got pretty good reading skills, though.

I think plot is where the film suffers a little bit, although there are some things it does well, like the way it portrays Clark’s first day at the Daily Planet. Some things are a bit puzzling, however… like, one thing I never really got was how Superman spent twelve years in the Fortress of Solitude. I mean, he’s like, 18 when he gets there and 30 when he comes out, so (a) the world’s probably changed quite a bit since he went in there in a way I don’t recall the film really acknowledging and (b) just what exactly is he going to write on his resume for The Daily Planet? “Conducted dozen-year interview with crystal hologram of alien from exploded world”? “Chilled with polar bears”? (get it, nyar nyar nyar nyar)

As for the “turning back time” being all in Superman’s head… interesting idea, but impossible [in the context of the movie]! It sets up Superman II! Unless that was a dream, which would explain some of the wackier parts of it (cellophane “S” and all). Got a few things to say about that film, too, so… off to that review!