SESSIONS

US, 1983, 96 minutes, Colour.
Veronica Hammel, Jeffrey de Munn, Lenny Van Dohlen, Tracy Pollan, David Marshall Grant, George Coe.
Directed by Richard Pearce.

Sessions is an offbeat telemovie, the psychological study of a callgirl. The framework of the film is therapy sessions between the callgirl and a psychiatrist. The film visualises her life, her relationship with family, with boyfriend, with a potential husband, with her clients.

The film offers plausible insight into the character and her motivations. She is played with cool intensity by Veronica Hammel (Hill St. Blues). The film is set in chic New York, captures the atmosphere of the city, gives a view of the callgirl's clients - and their eccentricities, dependence, pitiable needs. Direction is by Richard Pearce who made the excellent features about farm life, Heartland and Country.

1. The impact of this telemovie? Themes, character, situations, issues?

2. The chic New York world: affluence, apartments? The world of the callgirl? The world of psychiatric therapy? The moods, style, musical score?

3. The title and the structure of the film: the view of Lee's character within the context of her reflections for the psychiatrist? Her therapy? The culmination of the therapy in her change of lifestyle?

4. The film reflecting on Lee's process of therapy: the ups and downs, her history, explanations, the influence of her father and her resentment, her relationships with people, her attitude towards men and using them, her desire to control and win, never to weep? The processes of change through the therapy?

5. Veronica Hamel as Lee? Her stature and beauty, presence? In herself, her severity? Her relationship with her daughters? Sending them to school? The pleasing scenes of mother and daughters? Her sister and her visit to New York? Her advice to her sister? The meeting with her mother and father? Her memories of her father and his dominance, cruelty, winning psychological battles, her capitulating by weeping? Her decision never to weep? Her resentment of her father's attitude towards her sister's birth, 'another one'? His poor view of women and their being exploited? Her relationship with Josh, his being out of town, inviting him over, his staying? her using him? Her range of friends? Especially amongst the callgirls? Her respectable friends and dining out? The arrangement to meet Walter, the dinner, finding him charming, the puzzle about responding to his invitation to the ballet?
The affair with him and its effect on her? The contrast with her clients, the games that she played, her aloof attitudes get playing the games? her collapse, drinking? her decision to change?

6. Lee and the world of the callgirls, her different name, Randy? Her manner of speaking, dressing, make-up? The clients and their games? Her pandering to them and flattering them? The professor with the dog-leash etc.? Max and his abusing her confidence? The appointments, her being adaptable? Money? The credibility of Lee as a callgirl?

7. Josh and his friendship, sharing confidences, support? her breaking with him and ordering him out? her returning to him and being disappointed when he was with another woman?

8. Walter and his suave manner, the meal, the outing to the ballet, the encounter with Max and his wife? Relating to her, wanting her to move in, her fear of this? The breaking of the relationship?

9. The clients and their visits, Max and the ballet and his later visit? The range of businessmen coming to town?

10. Lee's callgirl friend, her clients, her hopes, the young man and his physically bashing her? Her friendship with the actor - continued hopes of love?

11. The sketch of her sister, the visit to New York, outings? Her parents and her memories of childhood?

12. Themes of city society, relationships, sex, power? The effect of therapy - and Lee's getting her daughters and moving to a new life in California?