In a Film sure to appeal to a open minded, compassionate crowd, John Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien. An pollio victim at 6, who lives his life mostly confined in a Iron Lung. Each day a attendant comes to his home to help with his basic human needs. Now the movie begins when he turns 38, Mark decides he wants to lose his virginity. With the help of his priest played by none other than William H Macy, Mark learns about a Sex Surrogate who is experienced with people having special needs or disabilities. This is where Mark is introduced to Cheryl, played by Academy Award Winner Helen Hunt. She is hired by Mark for just 6 sessions, in which the goal is to achieve Sexual Intercourse. From here the film goes back in forth between Mark during the sessions, and his reactions and interaction with his priest and attendants. Mark is a poet and possesses an excellent sense of humor, so it is very touching and real to go on the journey with him, as film is based on a true story. Helen Hunt is the real deal as Cheryl and leads the cast with class. This movie will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. Bravo !!

I remember this independent film being talked about on Film 2012 with Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh, it looked like something interesting, and it had some good names in the cast, so I was looking forward to it. Basically in 1988, in Berkeley, California, Mark O'Brien (Golden Globe nominated John Hawkes) is a journalist and poet, when he was younger he contracted poliomyelitis, and spends his life completely paralysed, requiring assistance to eat and drink, wash, get dressed and move around, and he has an iron lung (a mechanical respirator) to breathe on his own at night. Due to his condition, Mark has never had sex, he tried unsuccessfully to propose to his caretaker Amanda (Annika Marks), and he senses he may be near death, he decides he wants to lose his virginity. After consulting his priest, Father Brendan (William H. Macy), being a devout Catholic, and after talking to a sex therapist, he gets into contact with professional sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Helen Hunt), she explains that he is not like a prostitute, because it is not business, she will teach him everything to have a future loving sexual relationship. Cheryl tells Mark that they will have no more than six sessions together, with the goal of intercourse, Mark has the sense of touch, and he is maintain an erection, but he cannot masturbate and has never been close to a naked woman, so on their first session, after Cheryl undresses him, and she undresses, it does not take long for him to ejaculate when he gets overexcited. As they continue their sessions, they have to move location, to a motel, Mark continues to get overexcited when Cheryl allows him to touch her, and when she does try to get to the point of helping him to have intercourse, so she is patient in helping him get to the point where he can control himself, but they talk as openly as they can about things, without getting too much into her personal life. It becomes apparent, through the sessions, that Mark is developing developing romantic feelings for Cheryl, she is trying to remain professional, but Cheryl cannot help herself having feelings for Mark as well. Cheryl's husband Josh (Adam Arkin, Alan's son) loves her deeply, he is aware of what she does with her clients, hearing about Mark however he cannot suppress his jealousy, he withholds a love poem Mark sent Cheryl by mail, she does eventually find this. After several attempts, Mark and Cheryl are able to have mutually satisfying sex, but Mark makes the decision to make their fifth session their last, she agrees cutting their session short is will stop their burgeoning feelings. One day after the last session, Mark officially no longer a virgin, there is a power cut where he lives, his iron lung stops functioning, he uses his stick to use the telephone to call his friend for help, but he drops his stick before he can call emergency services. Mark however does survive his ordeal after being rushed to hospital, it is there that he meets and falls in love with a young woman named Susan Fernbach (Robin Weigert), throughout his life Mark had relationships with three women. In the end, Mark has passed away following complications from bronchitis, his friends and the women he came to know and love, including Cheryl, are attending his funeral, Father Brendan gives a thoughtful and personal eulogy, and Susan reads Mark's favourite poem, which he previously wrote for Cheryl. Also starring Moon Bloodgood as Vera, W. Earl Brown as Rod, Blake Lindsley as Dr. Laura White, Jarrod Bailey as Tony, Rusty Schwimmer as Joan, Rhea Perlman as Mikvah Lady and Ming Lo as Clerk. Hawkes gives a good performance as the sexually inexperienced and naive disabled man threatened by guilt from his beliefs, but desperate to fulfil his needs, Hunt is very good as the surrogate willing to teach him the tools he needs for the future, she seems comfortable being nude a lot of the time, and Macy is great support as the free-thinking priest helping him through the dark times and offering comforting advice. It is a very simple story, a man who cannot move losing his virginity, and slowly he has feelings for the woman who will eventually do it with him, and she feels the same, the fact that the story is true gives the film some depth, but it is not just a serious and schmaltzy film, it leaves room for a witty script and some funny moments as well, all in all it is a likable comedy drama based on a true story. Worth watching!

I wasn't sure what to expect from "The Sessions." A movie about a disabled man who hires a sex surrogate seems capable of going in a lot of different directions - not all of them good or worthy. But this turns out to be a very good movie. Sensitive and sensual, it's also thought-provoking. It takes us through a wide range of human emotions, from fear to joy to sadness. It features very good performances from the three leads (John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy) that end up making this a real pleasure to watch.Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien in this true story. O'Brien is a writer and poet, stricken with polio, as a child, confined to a gurney and dependent on an iron lung to survive. He's missed out on a lot of normal experiences, and one thing that bothers him is that he's 38 years old and, while he has felt love, he's never experienced sexual intimacy, and after consulting with his priest (Macy) he hires a sexual surrogate (Hunt) to lose his virginity.The inter-relationships between O'Brien and the other two are fascinating. Macy is a wonderful actor, and he plays the part of the priest well. Father Brendan wants to be a support for Mark, but there are times when he's clearly out of his depth in discussing this situation, and Macy handles those scenes with a subtle sense of humour. Meanwhile, Cheryl, the surrogate, finds herself struggling with perhaps unexpected feelings that she begins to develop for Mark, even while she has a husband and son at home. There's a remarkable chemistry between Hunt and Hawkes. Hunt seemed comfortable in a part that demanded a great deal of nudity - but it was all appropriate and never gratuitous. The world of sexual surrogacy must be a strange one, demanding both great intimacy and solid professional boundaries, and Hunt gives us a glimpse into that world.It's a very good movie, based on an article O'Brien wrote about his experiences with sexual surrogacy. leading up to an ending that's both heart-warming, as O'Brien meets a woman (Robyn Weigert) to share his life with but also a bit heart-wrenching as he passes away a few years later.

Never before have I heard about a sex therapist until I saw this film. It was an interesting concept and surprisingly based on a true story.The story of a man who lives his life inside an iron lung, he wants to know how it feels to lose his virginity. So with a sex therapist, he gets the experience of a lifetime.This film is not intended for the family, as there is nudity, profanity and scenes of sexual pleasure. However, the film does have wonderful comedy relief, as is needed.I especially enjoyed seeing William H. Macy as the priest. His acting has improved dramatically since the early 2000s. And Helen Hunt was amazing as well, not including the full body nudity. For her age, she looked amazing.