Christopher Reeve's son on father's Oscars appearance: 'always stuck with me'

Christopher Reeve's son Matthew Reeve reflected on the impactful Oscars moment when his father received a standing ovation following a horse-riding accident.

 During an interview with PEOPLE at the Sundance screening of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Matthew discussed the time when Christopher made his first public appearance at the Oscars a year after the incident, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Matthew said, "I remember, I was in London, it was a school night, and we stayed up until three or four in the morning to watch it, and it was absolutely incredible."

"What sticks with me most was after that incredible warm welcome and that very long ovation that he received, his introduction," he added.

The 44-year-old filmmaker went on to say, "He followed it up with a wonderful speech about how cinema and movies are at their best when they not only entertain, but [when] they inform and educate and address issues."

Matthew continued, "So, that's always stuck with me and that's why also I feel like here, at Sundance, that's what they do and that's what they live for."

In 1996, Christopher made his initial public appearance after horse-riding accident at the Oscars, where he received a long-standing applause after coming  on stage in a wheelchair.

The Superman actor started his speech with a joke, saying, "I left New York last September, and I just arrived here this morning."

About Christopher Reeve death:  

On October 10, 2004, Christopher Reeve  passed away due to heart failure at the age of 52 in a hospital near his residence in Westchester County, New York.

He was famous for portraying the lead role in four Superman films.