Rear Window,

By JAMES COLLINS

This update of the Hitchcock classic presents Christopher Reeve in his first leading role since his accident. He plays a newly paralyzed architect who passes time by watching his neighbors across a courtyard, eventually coming to believe that one is a murderer. Reeve is touching, in part, because the role echoes his own story, but his talents seem undiminished, and his performance is very appealing in its own right. Unfortunately the movie itself is a disappointment, with a suspenseful set-up but flat climax.

--By James Collins