The Sessions (2012): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The Sessions is a 2012 drama directed by Ben Lewin, starring William H. Macy, Helen Hunt and John Hawkes. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes and earned $10.7 million worldwide. It won 3 awards from 11 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Director
- Ben Lewin
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Sessions About?
The premise of The Sessions without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Confined to an iron lung since contracting polio as a child, a determined journalist seeks to explore intimacy and experience physical connection. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery, engaging a sex surrogate to help him understand and embrace his own sexuality. Through their sessions, he confronts his personal challenges and finds unexpected liberation and a deeper understanding of himself.
The Sessions Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- sex surrogate
- first sexual experience
- woman on top
- sex in bed
- female full frontal nudity
- ejaculation
- sex therapist
- oral sex
- masturbation
- sexual arousal
- orgasm
- sexual awakening
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- first time sex
- female nudity
- loss of virginity
- paralysis
- female genitalia
- male pubic hair
- female rear nudity
- sex with a disabled person
- female removes her clothes
- marriage proposal
- intimacy
- leg spreading
- panties pulled down
- scantily clad female
- strong sexual content
- sex scene
- undressing someone
- panties
- erotica
- sex therapy
- boyfriend girlfriend relationship
- husband wife relationship
- sexual exploration
- sexual pleasure
- undressing
- male virgin
- voyeur
- jesus statue
- man wears eyeglasses
- woman wears eyeglasses
- female topless nudity
- man with long hair
- man uses a wheelchair
- listening to a baseball game on a radio
- couple in a bathtub
- drinking beer
- priest parishioner relationship
- younger version of character
The Sessions Cast
William H. Macy leads the cast, with Helen Hunt and John Hawkes. Directed by Ben Lewin.
- Director Ben Lewin
More from Ben Lewin
More films directed by Ben Lewin, best-rated first: Please Stand By, Falling for Figaro, The Catcher Was a Spy and Lucky Break.
The Sessions Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Sessions 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
-
IMDb 7.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 91% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 80%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
TMDB 69% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.5 /5
4 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 2.5 /5
See on Movie Insider
The Sessions Plot Summary
What happens in The Sessions from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In Berkeley, California, in 1988, Mark O’Brien is a 38-year-old poet confined to an iron lung after polio leaves him unable to breathe on his own, and he has never experienced sex. After a failed proposal to his caretaker Amanda, he decides he wants to lose his virginity and seeks guidance from his priest, Father Brendan. He then contacts Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a professional sex surrogate who agrees to a limited six-session arrangement.
Full summary
The whole story of The Sessions, scene by scene
The Sessions Box Office
The Sessions grossed $10.7 million worldwide. $6 million came from the US and Canada and $4.7 million (44%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$10.7M
- US & Canada
- $6M
- International
- $4.7M
The Sessions Awards & Nominations
The Sessions won 3 awards from 11 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2013, with 2 wins from 2 nominations.
3 wins11 nominations7 ceremonies
-
Spirit Awards 2013 2 wins · 2 nominations- Won Best Male Lead – John Hawkes
- Won Best Supporting Female – Helen Hunt
-
Artios Awards 2013 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Low Budget Feature - Drama/Comedy
-
Critics' Choice 2013 2 nominations- Nominated Best Actor – John Hawkes
- Nominated Best Supporting Actress – Helen Hunt
-
Actor Awards (SAG) 2013 2 nominations- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Helen Hunt
- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – John Hawkes
Show all 7 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
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Golden Globes 2013 2 nominations- Nominated Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama – John Hawkes
- Nominated Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy – Helen Hunt
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BAFTA 2013 1 nomination- Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Helen Hunt
-
Oscars 2013 1 nomination- Nominated Actress in a Supporting Role – Helen Hunt
The Sessions Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Sessions.
How Well Do You Know The Sessions?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What device does Mark O'Brien depend on to keep him breathing?
Cars in The Sessions
10 cars on screen, including the 1988 Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon and the 1983 Ford Econoline.
-
1988 Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon Minor role -
1983 Ford Econoline Minor role -
1973 Chevrolet Nova Background role -
1974 Datsun B210 Coupé Background role
The Sessions Also Known As
26 alternative titles, including “Seis Sesiones De Sexo” and “KP13: Intymios pamokos”.
- Also known as
-
- Seis Sesiones De Sexo
- KP13: Intymios pamokos
- Las sesiones
- The Sessions - Gli incontri
- 亲密治疗
- The Sessions - Wenn Worte berühren
- Aşk Seansları
- Суррогат
- As Sessões
- A kezelés
- Sesje
- מפגשים
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- Mitt längtande hjärta
- เดอะเซสชั่น
- Sezení
- Μαθήματα Ενηλικίωσης
- Seanse
- 세션: 이 남자가 사랑하는 법
- セッションズ
- Сурогат
- Сеанси
- 性福療程
- Terapia
- 聖手回春
- Intymios pamokos
- Mối Quan Hệ Hấp Dẫn
Seen The Sessions?
Movies Like The Sessions
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Meetings of Anna, Live Flesh and She's Lost Control.
The Sessions FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The Sessions, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Sessions?
The Sessions runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was The Sessions released?
The Sessions was released on October 19, 2012.
Who directed The Sessions?
The Sessions was directed by Ben Lewin.
More films by Ben Lewin Who is in the cast of The Sessions?
The Sessions stars William H. Macy, Helen Hunt and John Hawkes.
How much did The Sessions make at the box office?
The Sessions grossed $10.7 million worldwide ($6 million domestic, $4.7 million international).
How is The Sessions rated?
The Sessions has 7.2/10 on IMDb, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69% on TMDB and 3.5/5 on Letterboxd.
What awards did The Sessions win?
The Sessions won 3 awards from 11 nominations, including Best Male Lead at the Spirit Awards 2013.
Does The Sessions have a post-credit scene?
No. The Sessions has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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