THE SESSIONS

US, 2012, 95 minutes, Colour.
John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, Adam Arkin, Rhea Perlman.
Directed by Ben Lewin.

Sex and the disabled.

This is not a topic frequently seen in films, although there have been a number about some persons with mental disabilities and their relationships. It is significant part of the recently popular, The Intouchables. This one is more probing, physically, emotionally, morally. It highlights the issues for a 38 year old man who virtually lives in an iron lung, his muscular system debilitated by his contracting polio at the age of six.

One of the factors which complicates audience response (especially for practising Catholics) is that Mark O’ Brien has been brought up a Catholic and visits his parish priest, Fr Brendan, not exactly for Confession but for him to listen to his questions, his decisions and his experiences. He says he wants advice from Fr Brendan as a friend rather than as a priest.

The issue is that Mark wants to experience his full sexuality. He is put in touch with a sex surrogate who has a program of body awareness leading to full sexual experience, a limit of six sessions. Though exceedingly nervous, he begins the sessions, then follows through. Intercut with his experiences, are his conversations, quite frank, in church, with Fr Brendan.

The film, based on an article by Mark O’ Brien, has been adapted for the screen and directed by Ben Lewin (Australian director of The Dunera Boys who himself had polio when young) who has not had a prolific career at home or in Hollywood. It is quite sensitively written, with a lot of humour, tracing the effect of the therapy on Mark, on the surrogate, Cheryl, and on Fr Brendan. The surrogate Cheryl Cohen acted as an adviser for the film, as did Susan Fernbach, a volunteer who was the love of Mark’s life.

John Hawkes, who has appeared in minor roles in many films but has stood out in Winter’s Bone (with an Oscar nomination) and as the cult leader in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, makes Mark a completely convincing character, a poet (because, as he says, he has to live most of his life in his mind), a writer, a man who blames himself for his young sister’s death because his mother had to focus on him so much, a man with a religious culture, and a man who experiences the ordinary sexual longings and desires and who lacks the opportunity for fulfillment – or, at least, fears there will be no opportunities. Much of Hawkes’ performance is in voiceover, telling his life story, recounting his feelings and reciting his poetry.

Helen Hunt brings an extraordinarily sympathetic presence to the role of Cheryl, seeing herself as a professional sexual surrogate rather than in any way a prostitute, with her own private family life. She is quite uninhibited, though restrained in her work, in being comfortable with her body, considerate for her clients. Again, she is not a character one sees often in films, which is a challenge to how we respond to her in theory and in practice.

William H. Macy spends most of the film as Fr Brendan, listening to Mark, making his judgments about morality and compassion with a priority on his sympathies before traditions of moral teaching.

There are good performances from several actors who portray the helpers upon whom Mark is dependent.

This is a sensitive, not exploitative film. However, it does raise moral issues concerning sexual behaviour which might seem easy to solve in principle but which require pastoral considerations as well.

1. The film based on a true story?

2. The disabled, quality of life, lesser quality of life, the need for assistance, life in public, difficulty in breathing, in food and drink, the spiritual aspect of disability? Sex urges and experiences?

3. Mark and his voice-over, communicating his situation, a poet, quoting his poetry, the revelation of himself? His comment about living in the mind? Particular poems? The variety of helpers? Cheryl and her role? The end?

4. The iron lung, polio, the deterioration of his muscles, difficulties in breathing, his itching and his having to scratch himself in his mind? Thirty-eight, quality of life, isolation? The initial helper and her tough attitude? His letting her go?

5. The visit to Father Brendan, the Catholic church, the people, Brendan and his hair, his attitudes, listening to Mark? Mark asking his advice, as a friend rather than a priest? His sardonic observations – his comment about sexual ecstasy and ‘Oh, God’? Moral issues, the tradition of morality, sexual morality, Catholicism? His support for Mark, his questions, urging him to go for it? His visit to Mark’s house, the headband, the drinks? The long friendship? Asking about Cheryl? The shared experiences? His preaching at his funeral?

6. The interviews for a helper, his needs, the advice of Brendan in giving the helper the sack? The range of people interviewed, their qualifications, empathy or not?

7. His choice of Amanda, a good woman, his experiences with her, eating with her and her boyfriend, the boyfriend and his hostile reaction, the bath sequence with Amanda? Mark falling in love with her, her feeling she had to leave? Her later return, going to Germany, the farewell? Her inability to reciprocate Mark’s love? Her coming to his funeral? Vera, her Chinese background, her relationships, her hard work, empathy with Mark, taking him out, her looking after him at home, listening to him? Rod, his helping, transferring Mark to different locations?

8. The reality of sexual urges, the moral issues, pastoral issues? Mark and his Catholicism, the picture of Mary in his room? The background of his parents, his polio, his sister’s death, his feeling they blamed him, his sense of guilt?

9. The article, the funding? His accepting the assignment, the various visits, the disabled black woman, her cheerfulness, talking frankly, the young man in the chair and his talk?

10. The phone centre, giving him information for Cheryl, his contacting her, his hesitation and nervousness, the six sessions, going to the young woman’s house, Vera taking him? Her being late, ten minutes, apologies?

11. Cheryl, audiences’ first impressions? Her title as a sex therapist? Her coming into the room, his mentioning money, his apology, starting again? The detail of their talk, her sympathy, empathy? Stripping? The issues of body awareness? The effect on Mark? Leading to intimacy?

12. Cheryl and her own religious background, leaving the Catholic church, her attitude towards sexuality and religion? A private person, her husband, the scenes at home, with her son, the interactions? Her husband, his being the home person, his not believing Cheryl when she was anxious? Finding the poem, putting it in the garbage, the fight between them, her seeking it out? The apologies?

13. Mark’s development, his experience of sexual behaviour and reactions, his embarrassment, with the helpers? The sexual experience and his feelings? His wanting completion? Cheryl, pacing? Mark’s desire for shared sexual experience, her agreeing, achievement? The effect on her?

14. Cheryl, the final talk, the appropriateness of stopping? The emotions on both sides?

15. Mark at home, the power going out, his feeling that he might die, the difficulty of phoning, his message to Rod, dropping the pointer? Rescued, in hospital, the recovery? The need for back-up systems for his breathing?

16. The encounter with Susan, the volunteer, the friendship, going out with her, the bonds and their lasting?

17. His death, at the age of forty-nine? The voice-over, the three women he loved, their presence at his funeral, the sermon? The poem and Susan reading it, Cheryl and her emotions?

18. The effect for the audience, emotional identification with Mark, with Cheryl? Their situations? Thinking about the issues of disability and sexuality? The audience being challenged?