This is a somber topic, a 30-something man confined mostly to an iron lung from having had polio back in the 1950s. That struck a chord with me, as I remember attending a high school graduation in the 1950s in my small hometown where one of the students was in an iron lung from his own bout with polio.
But this one is a bit different, in this true story the man's mind was sharp, as well as his sense of humor, and a graduate of U Cal at Berkeley. He wrote poetry, he learned to use his mouth and a stick to punch typewriter keys or work a push button telephone.
John Hawkes has the role of the crippled man, Mark , who was a hopeless romantic and seemed to fall in love with every woman that came into his life. He also wanted to experience a few things that had eluded him so far, the touch of a naked woman and actual sexual intercourse. He was NOT paralyzed, as he explained, his muscles just didn't work so the only thing he could move was his head. Plus his erections were apparently pretty healthy!
Mark happens to find out about Helen Hunt as Cheryl , who calls herself a sex surrogate. As she explains, a prostitute wants your repeat business, but a sex surrogate wants to see you for a maximum of six sessions. Thus the title "The Sessions." From some comments in the DVD extras this seems to be a product of 1950s and 1960s and beyond sex therapists Masters and Johnson.
Part of the humor in the movie is created when Mark goes to visit the new parish Priest, William H. Macy as Father Brendan . Mark is a devout Catholic and worries that he might be embarking on something sinful and seeks Fr Brendan's counsel. As Mark's sex therapy advances there are some interesting and humorous discussions between the two, inside the church building with the altar in the background.
Helen Hunt I suppose should be considered brave to do this role, because it involves more than one scene of full frontal nudity. But it isn't erotic nudity, she is very convincing as a "therapist." Plus she seems to be in fine form at almost 50.
I also enjoyed the role Moon Bloodgood played as one of Mark's caregivers, Vera. She also is very convincing and is made to wear round frame glasses in her role as a Chinese. In real life her mother is Korean and her father is Irish-Dutch, and she is a real "knock out."
Overall a very interesting movie.
But this one is a bit different, in this true story the man's mind was sharp, as well as his sense of humor, and a graduate of U Cal at Berkeley. He wrote poetry, he learned to use his mouth and a stick to punch typewriter keys or work a push button telephone.
John Hawkes has the role of the crippled man, Mark , who was a hopeless romantic and seemed to fall in love with every woman that came into his life. He also wanted to experience a few things that had eluded him so far, the touch of a naked woman and actual sexual intercourse. He was NOT paralyzed, as he explained, his muscles just didn't work so the only thing he could move was his head. Plus his erections were apparently pretty healthy!
Mark happens to find out about Helen Hunt as Cheryl , who calls herself a sex surrogate. As she explains, a prostitute wants your repeat business, but a sex surrogate wants to see you for a maximum of six sessions. Thus the title "The Sessions." From some comments in the DVD extras this seems to be a product of 1950s and 1960s and beyond sex therapists Masters and Johnson.
Part of the humor in the movie is created when Mark goes to visit the new parish Priest, William H. Macy as Father Brendan . Mark is a devout Catholic and worries that he might be embarking on something sinful and seeks Fr Brendan's counsel. As Mark's sex therapy advances there are some interesting and humorous discussions between the two, inside the church building with the altar in the background.
Helen Hunt I suppose should be considered brave to do this role, because it involves more than one scene of full frontal nudity. But it isn't erotic nudity, she is very convincing as a "therapist." Plus she seems to be in fine form at almost 50.
I also enjoyed the role Moon Bloodgood played as one of Mark's caregivers, Vera. She also is very convincing and is made to wear round frame glasses in her role as a Chinese. In real life her mother is Korean and her father is Irish-Dutch, and she is a real "knock out."
Overall a very interesting movie.