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IMDbPro

The Sessions

  • 20122012
  • RR
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
43K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,254
183
The Sessions (2012)
A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.
Play trailer2:32
2 Videos
76 Photos
BiographyComedyDrama
A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
43K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,254
183
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Ben Lewin
    • Writers
      • Ben Lewin(written for the screen by)
      • Mark O'Brien(article "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate")
    • Stars
      • John Hawkes
      • Helen Hunt
      • William H. Macy
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Ben Lewin
    • Writers
      • Ben Lewin(written for the screen by)
      • Mark O'Brien(article "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate")
    • Stars
      • John Hawkes
      • Helen Hunt
      • William H. Macy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 151User reviews
    • 338Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 18 wins & 64 nominations total

    Videos2

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:32
    Theatrical Version
    The Sessions
    Trailer 2:32
    The Sessions

    Photos76

    William H. Macy in The Sessions (2012)
    Helen Hunt in The Sessions (2012)
    Helen Hunt in The Sessions (2012)
    Moon Bloodgood in The Sessions (2012)
    William H. Macy and Ben Lewin in The Sessions (2012)
    William H. Macy in The Sessions (2012)
    Ben Lewin in The Sessions (2012)
    Annika Marks in The Sessions (2012)
    Helen Hunt and John Hawkes in The Sessions (2012)
    Helen Hunt and John Hawkes in The Sessions (2012)
    Helen Hunt in The Sessions (2012)
    William H. Macy in The Sessions (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Hawkes
    John Hawkes
    • Mark
    Helen Hunt
    Helen Hunt
    • Cheryl
    William H. Macy
    William H. Macy
    • Father Brendan
    Moon Bloodgood
    Moon Bloodgood
    • Vera
    Annika Marks
    Annika Marks
    • Amanda
    Adam Arkin
    Adam Arkin
    • Josh
    Rhea Perlman
    Rhea Perlman
    • Mikvah Lady
    W. Earl Brown
    W. Earl Brown
    • Rod
    Robin Weigert
    Robin Weigert
    • Susan
    Blake Lindsley
    Blake Lindsley
    • Dr. Laura White
    Ming Lo
    Ming Lo
    • Clerk
    Rusty Schwimmer
    Rusty Schwimmer
    • Joan
    Jennifer Kumiyama
    • Carmen
    Tobias Forrest
    Tobias Forrest
    • Greg
    Jarrod Bailey
    Jarrod Bailey
    • Tony
    James Martinez
    James Martinez
    • Matt
    Paul MacLean
    • Young Mark
    Phoebe Lewin
    • Girl on Beach
    • Director
      • Ben Lewin
    • Writers
      • Ben Lewin(written for the screen by)
      • Mark O'Brien(article "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Hawkes placed a cushion under one side of his back to achieve the look of Mark O'Brien's distorted spine.
    • Goofs
      Rhea Perlman's name is spelled Pearlman in the end credits.
    • Quotes

      Mark O'Brien: I believe in a God with a sense of humor. I would find it absolutely intolerable not to be to able blame someone for all this.

    • Connections
      Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.160 (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Fine Wine Tasting for Two
      Written by Brad Hatfield (as Bradley P. Hatfield)

      Performed by Brad Hatfield Quintet

      Courtesy of Heavy Hitters Music Group

    User reviews151

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Real, raw and touching, but hampered
    Writer and founder of a small press which published works by disabled authors, Mark O'Brien, was struck completely disabled and iron lung- dependent by polio when he was young, and he has a goal: He wants to enjoy the pleasures of a woman before he "reaches his use-by date", as he puts it. The line is delivered by John Hawkes, who plays O'Brien, with both the sense of humour, and the sensitivity, which typifies the handling of the subject matter in 'The Sessions'.

    Ben Lewin, whose work has been primarily in TV and documentaries, brings John Hawkes together with Helen Hunt in a screen partnership that has to be one of the most intimate and trusting I have seen between two actors for some time. Hunt was up for an Oscar for her portrayal of professional sex surrogate Cheryl, who takes on the task of helping Mark achieve his goal. Their encounters are beautifully played, with the balance of awkwardness, fear and joy well judged enough that you truly feel in the room. The scenes seem raw and real, and the result of the writing is one of a film which does not snigger, nor encourage sniggering, at the idea of sex on screen; there is a directness, and explicitness about the issue, which to my pleasant surprise, actually manages to underscore the importance of the emotional resonance of sex, and its importance in our life. It would be easy to imagine this simply becomes a dirty joke. To the contrary, the sex is not sexy, but rather functional; the conversations they have and the depiction of Mark's struggle with his journey to manhood, becomes touching. There is something in the way sex is explored that brings to mind what D H Lawrence was trying to do with his infamous classic; rather than nudge and wink, the story looks directly at what sex is and why it matters.

    Frustatingly, the direction seems shy of delving into the personal relationships and history of Cheryl; it also seems intent on putting the female form on full show whilst never completely exposing the male at the centre of the story. If this was an artistic choice, I wonder what the aim was; one would assume, in fact, that as the story moves forward, both character would become more exposed. The film also struggles to bring a key character to life; Father Brendan, played by the ever reliable William H. Macy, never seems complete. It is hard to pin down why, because Macy does not do anything wrong, but there is something in the scenes featuring Mark and the priest, which despite some deftly delivered humour, feel tough to buy.

    The heart of the film is that central relationship, though. Limited to six sessions, for obvious reasons, we watch an unusual, touching bond grow, and despite the hurried nature of the story arc, it makes 'The Sessions' worth your time.
    helpful•9
    2
    • eonbluedan-1
    • Jul 26, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 16, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Fox (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Six Sessions
    • Filming locations
      • San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fox Searchlight Pictures
      • Such Much Films
      • Rhino Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,002,451
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $113,467
      • Oct 21, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,656,155
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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