If John Hawkes's stunning performance in The Sessions doesn't win him an Oscar, what will?
The venerable, versatile actor came close to Oscar glory once before, with a best supporting actor nomination for his harrowing portrayal of meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone. If there's any justice in Oscar land -- hope springs eternal, folks -- Hawkes will take home the best actor gold this time for his dead-on turn as a lonely man in an iron lung.
Set in 1988 and based on a true story, The Sessions centers on Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a 38-year-old journalist and poet confined to an iron lung for all but a few hours a day and determined to lose his virginity. A childhood victim of polio, Mark has lived an expectedly hard life, and one without dating or relationships. So, with help from his therapist, Vera (Moon Bloodgood), and the blessing of his priest,...
The venerable, versatile actor came close to Oscar glory once before, with a best supporting actor nomination for his harrowing portrayal of meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone. If there's any justice in Oscar land -- hope springs eternal, folks -- Hawkes will take home the best actor gold this time for his dead-on turn as a lonely man in an iron lung.
Set in 1988 and based on a true story, The Sessions centers on Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a 38-year-old journalist and poet confined to an iron lung for all but a few hours a day and determined to lose his virginity. A childhood victim of polio, Mark has lived an expectedly hard life, and one without dating or relationships. So, with help from his therapist, Vera (Moon Bloodgood), and the blessing of his priest,...
- 11/9/2012
- by Don Clinchy
- Slackerwood
Ben Lewin's The Sessions has been playing in theaters for a few weeks, having first gotten attention at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and much of the discussion to date has been about the performances by John Hawkes and Helen Hunt. Hawkes plays Bay Area poet Mark O'Brien who suffered from debilitating childhood polio that kept him in an iron lung and paralyzed him from the neck down, while Hunt plays a sex surrogate who helped him overcome his lack of sexuality due to those limitations at the age of 39. You have to give some of the credit to Australian writer/director Ben Lewin, who found and read Mark O'Brien's article and realized that it would make a good movie, then went through a five-year process to get that movie made. The first step was to write a screenplay that...
- 11/7/2012
- Comingsoon.net
This review was originally published in my column at Towleroad...
When Madonna's "Sex" book turned twenty last week, a common thread of blog coverage was 'tame by today's standards' and I wondered which new standards other people were living by that I wasn't privy to? I'm not talking about private culture -- people have been seeing strangers naked long before Grindr or easily clickable pornography -- but about mainstream entertainment. Which mainstream female celebrity has been running around aggressively in her birthday suit lately? We've hardly made great strides at accepting female sexuality since then. Proof positive: the current political debates. The male body has, on the other hand, become more commonly objectified two decades on but penis sightings are still as rare as they were in the "Sex" book and people continue to make a big flaccid point of being shocked whenever they're visually reminded of their existence.
When Madonna's "Sex" book turned twenty last week, a common thread of blog coverage was 'tame by today's standards' and I wondered which new standards other people were living by that I wasn't privy to? I'm not talking about private culture -- people have been seeing strangers naked long before Grindr or easily clickable pornography -- but about mainstream entertainment. Which mainstream female celebrity has been running around aggressively in her birthday suit lately? We've hardly made great strides at accepting female sexuality since then. Proof positive: the current political debates. The male body has, on the other hand, become more commonly objectified two decades on but penis sightings are still as rare as they were in the "Sex" book and people continue to make a big flaccid point of being shocked whenever they're visually reminded of their existence.
- 10/30/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
After making his mark in festival hits Martha Marcy May Marlene and Winter's Bone where he played sinister and sometimes charming men with wayward morals and manipulative streaks, John Hawkes proves he can just as ably inhabit a real-life figure with an easy smile and tangible warmth in Ben Lewin's The Sessions.
Hawkes is Mark O'Brien, a polio survivor and poet who's mostly confined to an iron lung but possessed of a sharp mind and undeniable charm and who, at 38, is still a virgin. After consulting his confidante Father Brendan (William H. Macy), he decides to seek out the help of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) and finds out a lot about himself and love.
Directed by Lewin, himself a polio survivor, The Sessions is an uplifting story that shows a man without self-pity who decides to take a chance on himself.
Watch our chat with John Hawkes, Helen Hunt...
Hawkes is Mark O'Brien, a polio survivor and poet who's mostly confined to an iron lung but possessed of a sharp mind and undeniable charm and who, at 38, is still a virgin. After consulting his confidante Father Brendan (William H. Macy), he decides to seek out the help of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) and finds out a lot about himself and love.
Directed by Lewin, himself a polio survivor, The Sessions is an uplifting story that shows a man without self-pity who decides to take a chance on himself.
Watch our chat with John Hawkes, Helen Hunt...
- 10/24/2012
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
Only a few years ago, John Hawkes was one of Hollywood's best kept secrets. He'd been acting for decades, and cropped up in dozens of big film and TV projects, but at best was simply one of those "Hey, it's that guy!" character actors. But the mid-'00s saw him edge towards center stage with a lead role in Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know," and as a regular on "Deadwood," and 2010 saw him finally make an indelible mark, as the terrier-like Teardrop in "Winter's Bone," which saw him pick up a surprise Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Two years on, he could be heading back, touted for a Best Actor nomination for "The Sessions," which premiered at Sundance in January. The film started rolling out limited release last week, and anyone taking a look will know that Hawkes' performance is the real deal. The...
- 10/22/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The Sessions, now out in limited release, is Ben Lewin's terrific and inspiring film about the real-life struggles of poet and journalist Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), who spent most of his life inside of an iron lung, unable to move any of his body parts from the neck down due to post-polio syndrome. Nearing 40, Mark decided he wanted to lose his virginity and write an article about it, so once the funding came in he sought out the expertise of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to help guide him through the experience of having sex for the first time. What follows (in the film) is this unbelievably touching journey about sex, love and intimacy with a fantastic, Oscar-worthy performance from John Hawkes, who takes us on a character's emotional adventure with only his face and...
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- 10/22/2012
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
Sundance likes nothing more than an overnight success. Countless directors have, over the thirty-odd years of the festival, gone from total unknowns to the hot new thing, and they're usually some fresh-faced whippersapper, relatively speaking. This year's festival had one of those, in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" director Benh Zeitlin, but it also had, in the shape of "The Sessions" helmer Ben Lewin, a rather more atypical overnight success, as Lewin is a 65-year-old filmmaker with credits stretching back nearly four decades. But it's no surprise that "The Sessions" (originally titled "The Surrogate") has made Lewin such a hot property -- his warm, humane and funny film, which stars John Hawkes as the paralyzed poet Mark O'Brien, and Helen Hunt as the 'sex surrogate' who helps him to lose his virginity, marks the consolidation of a real talent who's been under our noses for far too long. And yet when we.
- 10/22/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
The Sessions could have been just an Oscar-bait picture, exploiting our sympathies for its protagonist Mark O'Brien, who is paralyzed from the neck down because of a childhood bout of polio. But that's not the case. Under the watch of writer/director Ben Lewin, who survived polio himself, the movie brings us more laughs than tears. Credit for that is also due to O'Brien himself: His essay about losing his virginity, at 38 to a sex surrogate, is the basis for the film — and O'Brien wasn't a pity-party sort of guy. Vulture spoke to Lewin last week, at a dinner hosted by the Peggy Siegal Company, about taking O'Brien's story to the screen, directing honest sex scenes, and not catering to bleeding hearts.You had polio yourself. Did you relate to this story more because of that? Yeah, but it is impossible to measure that. I think that I probably related...
- 10/22/2012
- by Katie Van Syckle
- Vulture
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Ben Lewin's Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner "The Sessions" went over very well its first weekend, topping all newcomers in a frame that also saw "Holy Motors," "Brooklyn Castle" and "The Flat" open to solid numbers. Full rundown below. The Debuts: "The Sessions" (Fox Searchlight) Based on the true story of Mark O'Brien -- a poet (played by John Hawkes) paralyzed from neck down due to polio who hired a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to lose his virginity -- "The Sessions" managed a very strong start for distributor Fox Searchlight. The Oscar hopeful debuted on 4 screens to a $121,005 gross, which made for a $30,251 per-theater-average. Though that number is a bit of a drop from the $42,426 earned by Searchlight's other Sundance pickup-turned-Oscar hopeful, "Beasts of the Southern Wild," it's still a promising number for a film with a plot that's difficult to market....
- 10/21/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
At the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, The Sessions won a the Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. In his review, Richard Roeper explains why he too loved the true-life story of the paralyzed Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), who lived on an iron lung for most of his life and hired a sex surrogate to lose his virginity.
roeper's take on the latest movies
Weekdays 5:30p Et / 2:30p Pt
Next Showing: The Sessions opens today
Link | Posted 10/20/2012 by reelz
Roeper's Movie Reviews | Richard Roeper | The Sessions...
roeper's take on the latest movies
Weekdays 5:30p Et / 2:30p Pt
Next Showing: The Sessions opens today
Link | Posted 10/20/2012 by reelz
Roeper's Movie Reviews | Richard Roeper | The Sessions...
- 10/20/2012
- by reelz staff
- Reelzchannel.com
Amir here. Tiff has been over for more than a month but I still have one interview left to share with you. With The Sessions opening in theaters today, it was the perfect time to share my chat with Ben Lewin, the film's director. We touched upon everything from the politics of sex and nudity in Hollywood to the influence of his own experience with polio on building the character of Mark O'Brien. It's a film I encourage everyone to see because it's surprisingly funny and incredibly heartfelt, and features two of the strongest lead performances of the year. (In case you missed these back in September, here's my review of the film and my interview with one of its stars, William H. Macy.)
Amir for Tfe: I can’t think of a better place to start the interview than nudity.
Ben Lewin: Neither can I!
Amir: Because, in...
Amir for Tfe: I can’t think of a better place to start the interview than nudity.
Ben Lewin: Neither can I!
Amir: Because, in...
- 10/19/2012
- by Amir S.
- FilmExperience
![John Hawkes](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgyODM2NTQ0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc5ODY1NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,7,140,207_.jpg)
![John Hawkes](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgyODM2NTQ0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc5ODY1NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,7,140,207_.jpg)
Despite a career that dates back to 1985, it took actor John Hawkes until he was well into his forties to land on most folks' radars thanks to his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in the surprise indie smash "Winter's Bone." While he hasn't attained the level of fame his "Bone" co-star (and fellow Oscar-nominee) Jennifer Lawrence has, he's sure to become more of a household name with the release of his Sundance hit "The Sessions" -- a drama that's been courting a wealth of awards buzz for his commanding lead performance. The film, inspired by a true story, centers on Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a Berkeley author confined to an iron lung because of childhood polio. At 38, O'Brien, who can't move any of his limbs and yet is not impotent, decides he wants to lose his virginity. Enter Helen Hunt as Cheryl Cohen Green, the sex surrogate O'Brien calls on to aid him in the process.
- 10/19/2012
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
The Sessions, a sensation at Sundance, a hit at Toronto, and in theaters today, has a lot to recommend it. There's John Hawkes' "virtuoso" performance. There's Helen Hunt's "splendid" performance. And the nude-tracking Mr. Skin is excited, too. Here's what you need to know about the "Oscar bait" that puts the sexy back in iron lungs: What It's About, in a Few Words: "Polio, sex [and] comedy." What It's About, a Few More Words: Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a polio-stricken writer paralyzed from the neck down, hires a sex surrogate (Hunt) to see to his virginity. What's the Hook: You mean, besides the sex...
- 10/19/2012
- E! Online
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Last night, sex-talk icon Dr. Ruth Westheimer took in a screening of The Sessions, which tells the real-life story of handicapped writer Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) and the sex surrogate he hired to take his virginity, Cheryl Cohen Greene (Helen Hunt). Naturally, Dr. Ruth had some thoughts: "I did say, number one, that I would like her to use a contraceptive, because I don’t want her to get pregnant," she told us. "And my most important point is that maybe with a film like this, we can push for prostitution to be legal so that [prostitutes] can get supervision, so they can get medical help." (Only wrinkle there is that the movie goes to great lengths to explain the difference between a sex surrogate and a prostitute: The latter wants to keep you coming back; the former sets an end date.) Still, Dr. Ruth said she found the sex-positive film...
- 10/19/2012
- by Katie Van Syckle
- Vulture
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
An unqualified triumph at this year's Sundance Film Festival (where it nabbed both the Audience and Special Jury Prize awards), "The Sessions" has the surefire potential to go all the way. And, by that, we mean to the Oscars, baby.
Based on the autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, "The Sessions" tells O'Brien's story of how he made the most out of his life, despite being hindered by an iron lung. At the outset of the drama, written and directed by Ben Lewin, O'Brien (an Oscar-worthy John Hawkes giving the performance of his career) confides in his priest (William H. Macy) that he's determined to finally lose his virginity at 38 years old. To his surprise, his priest eggs him on, leading to an appointment with Cheryl, a professional sex surrogate (a brave and unforgettable Helen Hunt making a huge comeback), to help make O'Brien's dream a reality.
Based on the autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, "The Sessions" tells O'Brien's story of how he made the most out of his life, despite being hindered by an iron lung. At the outset of the drama, written and directed by Ben Lewin, O'Brien (an Oscar-worthy John Hawkes giving the performance of his career) confides in his priest (William H. Macy) that he's determined to finally lose his virginity at 38 years old. To his surprise, his priest eggs him on, leading to an appointment with Cheryl, a professional sex surrogate (a brave and unforgettable Helen Hunt making a huge comeback), to help make O'Brien's dream a reality.
- 10/19/2012
- by Nigel Smith
- NextMovie
Ready for the saddest L bomb drop, ever? "The Sessions," which is an adaptation of autobiographical writings of journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, follows a disabled man (John Hawkes) who, at 38, wishes to lose his V card and thus seeks the help of his therapist and priest (William H. Macy) and a professional sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt. The film, which premiered at Sundance, already has critics swooning; it already received an Audience Award (U.S. Dramatic) and a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. Check out the newly released clip, which depicts Hawkes struggling with falling in love with his nurse. "The Sessions" hits theaters October 19.
- 10/19/2012
- by Jessie Heyman
- Moviefone
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
A lively Thursday night screening of "The Sessions" proved to be an engaging mix of serious and silly.
On the graver end: John Hawkes, who stars as Mark O'Brien, a quick-witted poet stricken with crippling polio, was on hand to discuss the role that may well end up earning him a Best Actor nomination. On the charming and hilarious side: A sudden outburst from sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who sprung out of her seat during the Q&A (which was not meant to include audience questions) to point her finger at Hawke's co-star Helen Hunt and demand that the actress use contraceptives.
Hunt plays a sex surrogate who's tasked with enabling Hawkes' O'Brien to know the pleasures of physical intimacy. The movie is endearing and made all the moreso by the fact that it's based on the true story of the real-life O'Brien. Peggy Siegal, who co-hosted the screening with actress Melissa Leo,...
On the graver end: John Hawkes, who stars as Mark O'Brien, a quick-witted poet stricken with crippling polio, was on hand to discuss the role that may well end up earning him a Best Actor nomination. On the charming and hilarious side: A sudden outburst from sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who sprung out of her seat during the Q&A (which was not meant to include audience questions) to point her finger at Hawke's co-star Helen Hunt and demand that the actress use contraceptives.
Hunt plays a sex surrogate who's tasked with enabling Hawkes' O'Brien to know the pleasures of physical intimacy. The movie is endearing and made all the moreso by the fact that it's based on the true story of the real-life O'Brien. Peggy Siegal, who co-hosted the screening with actress Melissa Leo,...
- 10/19/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
![Helen Hunt](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM1OTk1ODIwMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTA0MTIwOQ@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR9,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Helen Hunt](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM1OTk1ODIwMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTA0MTIwOQ@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR9,0,140,207_.jpg)
New York, Oct 19: Helen Hunt, who was uncomfortable with roles involving nudity earlier in her career, was fine to take her clothes off for director Ben Lewin in her new movie 'The Sessions.'
The 49-year-old actress' new movie is a strange-but-true comedy-drama about 38-year-old handicapped writer Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), who hired a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to take his virginity.
Hunt admitted that she had never heard of the profession before she signed on to do the flick,.
The 49-year-old actress' new movie is a strange-but-true comedy-drama about 38-year-old handicapped writer Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), who hired a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to take his virginity.
Hunt admitted that she had never heard of the profession before she signed on to do the flick,.
- 10/19/2012
- by Arun Pandit
- RealBollywood.com
Plot: Mark O'Brien (John Hawke) is a thirty-eight year old writer-poet who, due to polio, is essentially paralyzed from the neck down, and spends most of his time in an iron lung. Due to his disability, he's a virgin, but while writing an article on the sex lives of disabled people, he's given the number of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) who- in six sessions, will make it possible for Mark to truly experience physical intimacy. Review: I originally saw The Sessions back in January at the...
- 10/19/2012
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
For three years in a row, John Hawkes found himself the center of attention at the Sundance Film Festival. That's an incredible winning streak for any actor, but an especially sweet victory for someone like Hawkes, who toiled for years in thankless roles in thankless movies like Home Fries and I Know What You Did Last Summer before seeming to emerge out of nowhere as the terrifying Teardrop in Winter's Bone, which was a Sundance sensation and eventually earned Hawkes an Oscar nomination. He learned of that nomination while back at Sundance a year later, with another terrifying supporting performance in the acclaimed Martha Marcy May Marlene. But as he completed his Sundance hat trick earlier this year, Hawkes was getting attention for a very different, very challenging kind of role, playing the disabled poet and writer Mark O'Brien in the quiet little drama once titled The Surrogate, now being...
- 10/18/2012
- cinemablend.com
![Based on a True Story (2004)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYmQxMmIyYjAtNDc3Ni00OGE2LTllMDItMzA2YmNkNDU4YmUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM1MzIyMQ@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR3,0,140,207_.jpg)
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On paper, it sounds like a misguided collaboration between the Lifetime network and the Playboy Channel -- a 36-year-old paralytic who spends most of his time in an iron lung hires a sex surrogate to help him lose his virginity. Based on a true story, to boot. Miraculously, "The Sessions" avoids the kind of squickyness that Hollywood usually drizzles over its uplifting movies about the physically challenged, mainly because its subject, poet and journalist Mark O'Brien, was in real life far too smart and self-deprecating for that kind of sentimental head-patting.
- 10/18/2012
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Inspired by the life and writings of Mark O'Brien -- a polio-stricken but determined journalist and poet confined to an iron lung since age six -- "The Sessions" offers a less comprehensive look at O'Brien's life than Jessica Yu's excellent documentary "Breathing Lessons," but instead focuses on a small sliver of his life and living. In 1988, O'Brien, then 38, made a decision to explore his own sexuality -- despite his paralysis -- in part inspired by his research into a story on sex and disability. Unsure about his ability to forge a relationship -- and concerned, as he puts it to his Catholic Priest and confessor, that he's "approaching his use-by date," O'Brien looks into hiring a sex surrogate. The surrogate, Cheryl Cohen Greene, explains that she's not a prostitute, but a therapist -- she and Mark will have six sessions, and then terminate their relationship. It sounds complex. It gets more so.
- 10/18/2012
- by James Rocchi
- The Playlist
![Helen Hunt](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM1OTk1ODIwMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTA0MTIwOQ@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR9,0,140,207_.jpg)
![Helen Hunt](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM1OTk1ODIwMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTA0MTIwOQ@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR9,0,140,207_.jpg)
Beverly Hills - Helen Hunt may be incredibly nervous on the inside, but she projected an unexpected regal confidence during our short interview for her work in "The Sessions" last week. Obviously, playing a real life character is always daunting. Playing a real life person who was a sexual surrogate to a disabled poet hoping to have his first sexual experience in his late 30's is something else. As Cheryl Cohen-Greene, Hunt arguably has her best role since her Oscar-winning turn in James L. Brooks "As Good As It Gets." Cheryl takes her work with Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) seriously, but she can't...
- 10/18/2012
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
When it comes to those time-honored tropes that impress Oscar voters — accents, disabilities, nudity — no film seems more stacked than The Sessions, which tells the real-life tale of handicapped writer Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), who hires a Boston-accented sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to relieve him of his long-held virginity. But this comedy-drama is even more than the sum of its award-worthy parts, thanks to nimble tonal work from writer-director Ben Lewin and, in particular, brave and warm performances from both Hawkes and Hunt. Last week, Vulture sat down with Hunt for a frank discussion of how she navigated all those nude scenes and the detail that was most important in nailing her character.Tell me your reaction when you first saw the film yourself. Was it at Sundance?Well, I'd seen four rough cuts, and I wasn't busy saying "It's good" or "It's not good"; I was just trying to...
- 10/17/2012
- by Kyle Buchanan
- Vulture
![John Hawkes](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgyODM2NTQ0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc5ODY1NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,7,140,207_.jpg)
![John Hawkes](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgyODM2NTQ0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc5ODY1NA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,7,140,207_.jpg)
New York -- The first time actor John Hawkes heard about Mark O'Brien, the polio-afflicted author, journalist and poet he portrays in the new film "The Sessions," it was due to the Oscars. Documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu had just won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short for 1996's "Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien." Hawkes read a quote from her in the newspaper basically noting that the dress loaned to her for the evening cost more than the budget for her film, and he enjoyed a chuckle over that. Hawkes knows a little something about low-budget filmmaking, too. After...
- 10/16/2012
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Given that it's based on the true story of a man with polio who spends most of his time in an iron lung, "The Sessions" is not as painfully heavy-handed as it might sound. And given that it's about this man's nervous attempts to lose his virginity at age 38, it's also not as obnoxiously wacky as it might sound.
Instead, "The Sessions" occupies a safe gray area somewhere in the middle. It has some difficult and heartfelt performances as well as moments of uncomfortable honesty, but ultimately writer-director Ben Lewin's film feels too slight, too pat, and too wildly overhyped out of its festival showings. It is, in short, a nice story – but not one that's told with any particular stylistic panache or emotional power.
Still, the hugely versatile John Hawkes gives a subtly funny, impressive performance which must have been a massive physical challenge. The lanky but intimidating...
Instead, "The Sessions" occupies a safe gray area somewhere in the middle. It has some difficult and heartfelt performances as well as moments of uncomfortable honesty, but ultimately writer-director Ben Lewin's film feels too slight, too pat, and too wildly overhyped out of its festival showings. It is, in short, a nice story – but not one that's told with any particular stylistic panache or emotional power.
Still, the hugely versatile John Hawkes gives a subtly funny, impressive performance which must have been a massive physical challenge. The lanky but intimidating...
- 10/16/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at a clip from writer/director Ben Lewin's The Sessions , starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy and Moon Bloodgood. Based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined at age 38 to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. The film will open in theaters on October 19.
- 10/10/2012
- Comingsoon.net
Helen Hunt bares all for a little sexual healing with a paralyzed man, in the true-story turned touching new comic-drama. A priest, a poet in an iron lung and prostitute walk into a bar. No, it's not a joke -- It's the premise of the new erotic comedy, The Sessions, in theaters Oct. 26. So okay, there's no bar. And the paralyzed man (John Hawkes) isn't walking anywhere either. John plays Mark, a 38 year-old writer crippled by polio since childhood, who takes on a "sex therapist" to help him discover pleasures of the flesh he's never known. The Sessions, is based largely on the writings of real-life California-based journalist and poet, Mark O'Brien, who documented his earnestly fumbling, and often awkward, late-stage quest to lose his virginity. Here are the top 5 reasons to see The Sessions. #1) Helen Hunt: The Academy-Award winning actress plays Cheryl, a prostitute who treats her job...
- 10/4/2012
- by HL Intern
- HollywoodLife
Sex, drama and comedy are familiar ingredients for any number of movies, but those elements have never quite come together as uniquely as they do in "The Sessions." While much of the Oscar talk over at Fox Searchlight has shifted for the time being to "Hitchcock," which recently threw its hat in the ring with a surprise release date announcement, the indie shingle might have a couple of nominations up their sleeve with this Sundance hit. Featuring John Hawkes in a role that is a complete transformation for the actor, he plays the polio stricken Mark O'Brien, who sets out at the age of 38 to lose his virginity with the help of a sex therapist (Helen Hunt), while enlisting spiritual guidance from his priest (William H. Macy). If it sounds far fetched, the movie is actually based on a true story that was chronicled in the 1997 Oscar-winning documentary "Breathing Lessons.
- 9/27/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
See the third poster for The Sessions, starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy In Fox Searchlight Pictures' The Sessions, Hawkes stars as a Mark O'Brien, a man confined to an iron lung after polio, who is determined–at age 38–to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. Also in the cast of a film that looks like it offers top-notch acting, are Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, W. Earl Brown, Blake Lindsley, Adam, Arkin, Ming Lo, Jennifer Kumiyama and Robin Weigert. The film opens in theaters on October 26th, 2012.
- 9/17/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
![John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTcxMzI3OTQ5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzA0NzcxOA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTcxMzI3OTQ5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzA0NzcxOA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
The New Orleans Film Festival has announced its opening and closing night films: On October 11, Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy" will open the festival, while both Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" and Ariel Vromen's "The Iceman" will close the event on October 18 in a double-feature. "The Paperboy," starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Kevin Spacey, and Macy Gray, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. Filmed on location in Louisiana, the story revolves around a reporter who returns to his Florida hometown to investigate the case of a death row inmate. "The Sessions," which debuted at Sundance and won a Special Jury award, stars Helen Hunt and John Hawkes. Based on Mark O'Brien's true story, Hawkes plays a man with an iron lung who hires a sex surrogate to help him lose his virginity. "The Iceman," also based on a true story, about a contract killer Richard Kuklinski,...
- 9/14/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Indiewire
![Ben Lewin at an event for Ruby Sparks (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTY5NjQ2NDgxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjc0MjYxOA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
![Ben Lewin at an event for Ruby Sparks (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTY5NjQ2NDgxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjc0MjYxOA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,1,140,207_.jpg)
Fox Searchlight has moved up the limited release date of Ben Lewin's Sundance hit-turned-Oscar contender "The Sessions" to October 19, a week earlier than originally announced. The film recently screened at Tiff. Oscar buzz is strong for both John Hawkes and Helen Hunt, who co-star as polio-afflicted journalist and poet Mark O'Brien and his sex surrogate, respectively. Director Lewin and William H. Macy, who has a supporting turn as a local priest, are also easily in the Oscar conversation this season. Read more from Anne Thompson about the film here, and check out the trailer below.
- 9/14/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Amir reporting from Toronto.
One of the films that has played to really strong audience reception on the festival circuit so far is Ben Lewin's The Sessions (opening November 8th). I enjoyed the film quite a lot myself and as I said in my review, it has the potential to go far in this awards season. For the ocassion of the film's premiere at Tiff, I interviewed William H. Macy who plays Father Brendan, an open-minded priest who consults Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) about his sex life.
William H Macy at the Sessions premiere at Tiff © Kara Dillon [src]
Amir: I wanted to tell you a quick story. When I was a teenager I had a self-made poster of you pointing the gun to your face from your last frame in Boogie Nights. I guess it was my weird way of expressing my teenage angst. I’m understandably really nervous...
One of the films that has played to really strong audience reception on the festival circuit so far is Ben Lewin's The Sessions (opening November 8th). I enjoyed the film quite a lot myself and as I said in my review, it has the potential to go far in this awards season. For the ocassion of the film's premiere at Tiff, I interviewed William H. Macy who plays Father Brendan, an open-minded priest who consults Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) about his sex life.
William H Macy at the Sessions premiere at Tiff © Kara Dillon [src]
Amir: I wanted to tell you a quick story. When I was a teenager I had a self-made poster of you pointing the gun to your face from your last frame in Boogie Nights. I guess it was my weird way of expressing my teenage angst. I’m understandably really nervous...
- 9/13/2012
- by Amir S.
- FilmExperience
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
At Sundance this January, Academy Award-winner Helen Hunt courted the most attention she's received in over a decade for her brave and baring turn as a sex surrogate in "The Sessions" (then titled "The Surrogate"). The film, inspired by a true story, centers on Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), a Berkeley author confined to an iron lung due to childhood polio. At 38, O'Brien, who can't move any of his limbs but is not impotent, decides he wants to finally lose his virginity. Enter Hunt as Cheryl Cohen Green, a sex surrogate, who O'Brien calls on to aid him in the process. Written and directed by Ben Lewin, himself a polio survivor, "The Sessions" is remarkbaly hearfelt drama that affords Hunt her best on screen role in ages; one that's been courting a lot of awards buzz since first debuting in Park City. Indiewire caught up with Hunt in Toronto, where "The Sessions...
- 9/10/2012
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
One of the most difficult things about a film such as The Sessions is the director's need to help the audience forget the lead character has a disability. Or, at the very least, get them to connect with the character to the point compassion is felt for them as a human, not as a human with a disability. This need goes to the heart of The Sessions and its execution is directly relatable to how good this film is, as John Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien, a man whom has been confined to an iron lung for most of his life. Mark must forget his disability and do his best to realize his condition doesn't stop him from being eligible for everything it means to be human. Mark may be disabled, but he has a heart, feelings and love to give and writer/director Ben Lewin has crafted a story that...
- 9/8/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Vulture's released an exclusive movie clip for Fox Searchlight Pictures' The Sessions, where John Hawkes and William H. Macy Discuss Sex. The drama which was seen at this year's Sundance Film Festival, looks like it features some powerful acting and opens in theaters on October 26th, 2012. John Hawkes stars as a Mark O'Brien, a man confined to an iron lung after polio, who is determined–at age 38–to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. Helen Hunt also stars with support from Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, W. Earl Brown, Blake Lindsley, Adam, Arkin, Ming Lo, Jennifer Kumiyama and Robin Weigert.
- 9/5/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
After the debut of a hearty and warm trailer for Ben Lewin's "The Sessions," we now have a new clip from the Sundance sensation, which stars John Hawkes as real-life figure Mark O'Brien, a man afflicted by polio who was confined to an iron lung for the most of his life, who embarks on a journey to lose his virginity. The footage depicts the awkward, funny first meeting between Hawkes' O'Brien and his sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt, with this type of kinda-risque comedy littered throughout. While it works well here, the film too often plays like an average teen sex comedy resorting to broad laughs. The film does have better moments, though, at times drawing from where sex, love and disability fascinatingly meet with Hawkes delivering a sublime performance as he navigates through the immense physical, mental and emotional aspects of the role. Our review from Sundance shared similar less-than-impressed thoughts,...
- 8/28/2012
- by Simon Dang
- The Playlist
A first clip has arrived from The Sessions (a.k.a. The Surrogate). The film stars John Hawkes as a Mark O'Brien, a man confined to an iron lung after polio, who is determined–at age 38–to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. Helen Hunt plays a sexual surrogate who, as you can see by this new clip, limits the amount of "Sessions" allowed in her aiding Mark in learning about sexual intercourse. The film looks like it features strong performances and one I'd like to catch at some point, with a great supporting cast including William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, W. Earl Brown and Adam Arkin among others.
- 8/28/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Fox Searchlight, which snapped up Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" (formerly "The Surrogate") at Sundance for $6 million, holds high Oscar hopes for film, which stars John Hawkes as journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, who is afflicted with polio. (Think "My Left Foot.") Although he lived much of his life in an iron lung and can't move his limbs, he seeks to lose his virginity and hires a sex surrogate (a sensitive Helen Hunt). The film draws much of its plot, story, and character from O'Brien's writing. "The Sessions" is delicately modulated and utterly accessible, uplifting, moving and delightful to watch. (Here's our Sundance review round-up.) There's no question that Hawkes (who earned a standing ovation at one Sundance screening) and Hunt will be in the Oscar race, along with Lewin and William H. Macy as a supportive local priest who talks with O'Brien about his determination to have sex. Fox Searchlight.
- 8/22/2012
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
One of the first screenings I caught here in New York this week was Ben Lewin's "The Sessions," which I saw yesterday. The film debuted at Sundance (where it was called "The Surrogate") to much acclaim and became an instant contender for Best Actor (John Hawkes) and Best Actress (Helen Hunt). William H. Macy's supporting performance could also be a player. It's a very emotional film, ultimately, even if it gets there with a lighter touch. Much of that has to do with Hawkes's fantastic performance, carving an endearing portrait of real-life polio sufferer Mark O'Brien. O'Brien was a Berkeley poet and journalist who spent the majority of his waking hours...
- 8/17/2012
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
At the beginning of the year I made a list of my Top 40 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012. Of that list, it looks like about nine won't be hitting theaters this year and I've now seen 13 of them, which leaves me with only 18 movies and with six months to go I need a little more motivation than just 18 movies and it never hurts to make sure we recharge our batteries and prepare for the home stretch. First, I thought I'd list, in order, my previous Top 40 films including links to reviews and grades for the ones I've seen: Django Unchained Gravity Prometheus (Grade: B / my review) Seven Psychopaths Only God Forgives To Rome with Love (Grade: C+ / my review) The Dark Knight Rises Rust and Bone (Grade: A / my review) Skyfall Amour (Grade: A / my review) Killing Them Softly (Grade: A / my review) The Bourne Legacy The Grandmasters The Place Beyond...
- 7/3/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" has been generating buzz (under various names including "The Surrogate" and "Six Sessions") since its screening at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it garnered the Audience Award and Special Jury Prize for a dramatic cast. John Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien, a polio victim who has been confined to an iron lung, enlisting the help of a sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt, to "know a woman in the biblical sense." Critics have been praising both Hawkes and Hunt's performances in the film, with whispers of an Oscar nomination growing for Hawkes. Indiewire's Eric Kohn wrote that this marks Hunt's finest turn since her performance in "As Good As It Gets". William H. Macy as Mark's priest and Moon Bloodgood as his therapist round out the cast. Catch the promising trailer for the film, which highlights some great exchanges between Hawkes and Macy on God's opinion.
- 6/29/2012
- by Dema Paxton Fofang
- Indiewire
Fox Searchlight has unveiled the trailer for "The Sessions," which is based on the autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien. The new movie stars John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Helen Hunt, and William H. Macy. Check out the trailer below. Plot: Tells the story of a man (Hawkes) confined to an iron lung who is determined . at age 38 . to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. "The Sessions" is written and directed by Ben Lewin, and is set to hit theaters on October 26th, in limited release. Trailer:...
- 6/29/2012
- WorstPreviews.com
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
When "The Sessions" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January it was called "The Surrogate." There was a time when it was also called "Six Sessions." Whatever name the indie comedy-drama arrives in theaters with, however, is inconsequential. What matters is that the film might be a huge player at the 2013 Academy Awards, where stars John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy could find themselves among the honored nominees.
Based on the true story of Mark O'Brien, "The Sessions" follows a 38-year-old man (Hawkes), confined to an iron lung after a bout with polio at the age of six. His goal? To lose his virginity -- something he accomplishes with the help of sex surrogate (Hunt) and the blessing of his friendly neighborhood priest (Macy).
"I've never had a film festival experience like that afternoon at the Eccles Auditorium," Hawkes told HuffPost Entertainment earlier this year about the Sundance premiere.
Based on the true story of Mark O'Brien, "The Sessions" follows a 38-year-old man (Hawkes), confined to an iron lung after a bout with polio at the age of six. His goal? To lose his virginity -- something he accomplishes with the help of sex surrogate (Hunt) and the blessing of his friendly neighborhood priest (Macy).
"I've never had a film festival experience like that afternoon at the Eccles Auditorium," Hawkes told HuffPost Entertainment earlier this year about the Sundance premiere.
- 6/28/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
One of the more buzzed-about movies coming out of Sundance this year was The Sessions (previously known as The Surrogate), based on the real-life story of Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), a journalist and poet who spent most of his life stuck inside an iron lung, unable to move from the neck down due to post-polio syndrome. The film picks up as O'Brien approaches 40 and decides to write an article about losing his virginity through a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt). What follows is this remarkable little dramedy about sex, love and intimacy that breezes through your soul and manages to trigger all kinds of emotions along the way. Even during the festival folks were talking Oscar nods for both Hawkes and Hunt, and while it's shaping up to be one heckuva competitive fall...
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- 6/28/2012
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
On the face of it, a movie about a 38-year-old man crippled by polio who seeks a chance to lose his virginity doesn't exactly seem like the stuff of comedy or even feel-good drama. But premiering earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival to strong reviews, with whispers of Oscar, it looks like "The Sessions" (formerly known as "The Surrogate") accomplishes just that.
The film tells the true story of Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), a writer and poet crippled by polio, who sets out at the age of 38 to lose his virginity, with spiritual guidance from his priest (William H. Macy) and a sex therapist (Helen Hunt), with whom he forms a close bond. O'Brien's tale has already been the subject of the 1997 Oscar-winning doc "Breathing Difficulties," but this appears to be a lovely expansion of that story within a very accessible movie (which is pretty neat little feat...
The film tells the true story of Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), a writer and poet crippled by polio, who sets out at the age of 38 to lose his virginity, with spiritual guidance from his priest (William H. Macy) and a sex therapist (Helen Hunt), with whom he forms a close bond. O'Brien's tale has already been the subject of the 1997 Oscar-winning doc "Breathing Difficulties," but this appears to be a lovely expansion of that story within a very accessible movie (which is pretty neat little feat...
- 6/28/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
After undergoing a series of title changes following its rousing Sundance Film Festival debut where it won the Audience Award (Dramatic) and Special Jury Prize (Dramatic), we have our first trailer for The Sessions (previously known as The Surrogate and Six Sessions), a film poised as a surefire Oscar contender. Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy and Moon Bloodgood, the film centers on a man (Hawkes) confined to an iron lung who is determined--at age 38--to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest (Macy), he sets out to make his dream a reality. The story is based on the autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien. The film is slated for an October 26 release, which should position the actors nicely for Oscar chatter throughout the rest of the year and the film itself is receiving so much praise...
- 6/28/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
John Hawkes has become something of a Sundance megastar, as over the past few years he has dazzled the Festival with powerful performances in such heralded and hard-hitting dramas as Winter's Bone and Martha Marcy May Marlene. In both films, the Oscar-nominated performer played figures who exuded a heady mix of danger and allure. But while Hawkes drew praise once again at this year's Sundance, it was not for playing a frightening yet enticing brute. In maybe the biggest 180 one can imagine, Hawkes took on the role of a sweet man who doesn't let being attached to an iron lung get in the way of his sexual discovery. Bases on a remarkable true story of poet Mark O'Brien, who was left paralyzed from the neck down by polio, The Sessions--formerly known as the Six Sessions and The Surrogate--reveals the world of sex surrogacy, where a trained sex therapist...
- 6/28/2012
- cinemablend.com
Fox Searchlight has revealed the trailer and poster for their upcoming The Sessions (formerly Six Sessions ) and you can check both out below. Written and directed by Ben Lewin, The Sessions stars John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy and is based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California.based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien. It tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined - at age 38 - to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. The Sessions is set for a limited release on October 26th.
- 6/28/2012
- Comingsoon.net
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
![The Sessions (2012)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNTU4NjMzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQzMTY1OA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,207_.jpg)
Awards season is still months away from formally beginning, but the best actor race is already shaping up. It's going to be another competitive year with highly anticipated performances from Daniel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln"), Denzel Washington ("Flight") and Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master") on the way. There is, however, one phenomenal turn that's been waiting in the wings since Sundance, John Hawkes acclaimed portrayal of polio victim Mark O'Brien in "The Sessions." Originally titled "The Surrogate," Ben Lewin's drama won the coveted audience award in the premieres category as well as a special jury prize for ensemble acting which Hawkes shared with...
- 6/27/2012
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
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