The Sessions

( 2 )

Overview

A 38-year-old man who has spent most of his life in an iron lung enlists the help of a sexual surrogate in order to lose his virginity in this drama starring Oscar-nominated actor John Hawkes and inspired by the life of poet/journalist Mark O'Brien. With the support of an unconventional priest (William H. Macy) and a devoted team of caretakers, the virginal writer hires a compassionate sex surrogate (Helen Hunt), who finds her life profoundly transformed by their tender ...
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Note: The Sessions was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Academy Awards® and Oscar® are marks owned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

More About This Product

Overview

A 38-year-old man who has spent most of his life in an iron lung enlists the help of a sexual surrogate in order to lose his virginity in this drama starring Oscar-nominated actor John Hawkes and inspired by the life of poet/journalist Mark O'Brien. With the support of an unconventional priest (William H. Macy) and a devoted team of caretakers, the virginal writer hires a compassionate sex surrogate (Helen Hunt), who finds her life profoundly transformed by their tender sessions.
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Special Features

Deleted Scenes; Writer/Director Ben Lewin Finds Inspiration; John Hawkes Becomes Mark O'Brien; Helen Hunt as The Sex Surrogate; The Women Who Loved Mark O'Brien; A Session With The Cast
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert
If the old adage about there being no such thing as an overnight success ever applied to anyone, it would be prolific and gifted character actor John Hawkes. Most people had probably never heard of him before his well-deserved Oscar nod for Winter's Bone, and his ability to transform himself from role to role -- both physically and, seemingly, psychologically -- has made it difficult for viewers to recognize him even if they've already been impressed by his work. With Ben Lewin's film The Sessions, Hawkes is given the biggest and juiciest leading role of his career, and he pulls it off with remarkable grace and humor. He plays the real-life journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, who was confined to an iron lung for much of his life after being crippled from the neck down by polio as a child. Despite spending the majority of his time inside the large contraption, O'Brien had built a career as a freelance writer. As the film opens, he gets an assignment that brings him into contact with the world of sexual surrogates, and this gives him the opportunity to seriously consider losing his virginity -- at the age of 38. It's not just physical constraints that have kept him from acting on his natural impulses: Mark is a devout Catholic, and to guarantee that his soul will be fine, he seeks counsel from his local priest William H. Macy. He eventually hires Cheryl Helen Hunt, who lays out the ground rules for their strictly professional interactions and specifies that they will meet no more than four times -- that's what separates her from being a prostitute whose main goal is repeat business. She is caring and nurturing, but will not allow herself to develop feelings for her clients beyond that. At least not until Mark, with his humor and sensitivity, starts to crumble Cheryl's professional barriers. Their relationship makes up the majority of The Sessions, and while the sexuality in the movie is frank and honest, it's as much about the quest for love as it is the quest for an orgasm. Mark wants to be in love -- he doesn't just have the heart of a poet, he is a poet -- and the film charts his relationships with three different women, including a college student he hires to be his personal nurse. For a movie this small and delicate to work requires acting of the highest order, and the entire cast deliver. Hunt is heartbreakingly honest as she utilizes acting muscles she hasn't flexed in a long while. Macy gives the picture comic relief as well as an added poignancy, and by wanting nothing but the best for Mark, he becomes our surrogate onscreen. Even Adam Arkin, with precious little screen time as Cheryl's husband, connects as a real person because of his obvious discomfort not with his wife's job, but with her growing attachment to her new client. For all of their remarkable skill, The Sessions is first and foremost the John Hawkes show. His savviest move is to give Mark a distinctive thin and reedy voice, which is exactly right since his condition wouldn't allow him to get any sort of breath support when he speaks. Yet within that imposition on his own performance, Hawkes makes sure to vary that voice depending on what he's feeling, and his face is so full of life -- especially his eyes -- that we can feel his longing and his desires, as well as his decency. Like Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot, Hawkes plays a real person with a major physical disability who refused to let the effects of his disorder define his soul. Day-Lewis scored his first Oscar for playing the ferociously alive Christy Brown, and Hawkes deserves to be in the running for his work as the soulful, decent, and horny Mark O'Brien. Ben Lewin isn't anywhere close to being a household name -- his most widely seen movie is probably 1994's Paperback Romance -- but with The Sessions, this nearly 70-year-old Polish filmmaker reveals a perfect touch with actors and the wisdom to understand the deepest desires of the human heart. The Sessions is a compassionate, funny, and warmhearted look at how sex and love inform each other; it's mature in the best sense of the word.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 2/12/2013
  • UPC: 024543831662
  • Original Release: 2012

    • Rating:

  • Region Code: A
  • Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
  • Presentation: Color
  • Language: English, Español, Français
  • Time: 1:35:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 11,429

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
John Hawkes , Mark
Helen Hunt , Cheryl
Moon Bloodgood , Vera
Annika Marks , Amanda
Rhea Perlman , Mikvah Lady
Adam Arkin , Josh
William H. Macy , Father Brendan
W. Earl Brown , Rod
Robin Weigert Susan
Blake Lindsley Dr. Laura White
Ming Lo Clerk
Jennifer Kumiyama Carmen
Rusty Schwimmer Joan
Jimmy Martinez Matt
Tobias Forrest Creg
Jarrod Bailey Tony
Paul Maclean Young Mark
Phoebe Lewin Girl on Beach
Jonathan Hanrahan Unicyclist
Jason Jack Edwards Waiter
J. Teddy Garces Man in Elevator
Daniel Quinn E.R. Doctor
B.J. Clinkscales Ambulance
Terry Cat
Technical Credits
Ben Lewin Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Marco Beltrami Score Composer
Douglas Blake Executive Producer
Lisa Bromwell Editor
Julius Colman Executive Producer
David Dwiggins Asst. Director
Marty Kasparian Sound Mixer
Judy Levine Producer
Alexandra Lewin Associate Producer
John Mott Production Designer
Stephen Nemeth Producer
Justine Seymour Costumes/Costume Designer
Maurice Silman Executive Producer
Geoffrey Simpson Camera Operator, Cinematographer
Sharon Smith Musical Direction/Supervision
Abid Syed Associate Producer
Jonathan Wales Sound Mixer
Darlene Winter Associate Producer
Ronnie Yeskel Casting
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 2 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Posted February 12, 2013

    The movie is very unusual and provocative. It tells the story of

    The movie is very unusual and provocative. It tells the story of a severely handicapped man who before he dies wants to experience a sexual orgasm.  Both stars tell the story with humor and compassion without the usual self pitying and maudlin way of many a hollywood film of this genre. They are both amazing and believable. I particularly applaud Helen Hunt in her ability to act (while totally nude) with an unexpected grace and intelligence. I particularly liked the inevitable ending that sums up the relationship in ways that could not be expressed during the film. While I usually like action films, I was touched by the simplicity and humanitarianism of the film. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, by all means see it and enjoy the experience.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 6, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    Amazing disability drama, so close to Truth that you forget you

    Amazing disability drama, so close to Truth that you forget you are watching actors. No for kids, unless you want them to grow up and face reality, and be thankful of their own situations.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews