‘The Sessions’ Trailer - John Hawkes' Oscar-Buzzy Turn As A 38-Year-Old Virgin
The story of a guy trying hard to get laid for the first time has been told and told again in many an R-rated comedy, butBen Lewin’sThe Sessionsisn’tAmerican Pieor evenThe 40-Year-Old Virgin. Instead, it’s a truth-based drama that’s garnering serious Oscar buzz for its star,John Hawkes. TheMartha Marcy May Marleneactor plays poet Mark O’Brien, who’s confined to an iron lung thanks to a long-ago battle with polio. At 38, he decides it’s time to lose his virginity, and he enlists the help of a professional sex surrogate (Helen Hunt) to do so.
The Sessionsoriginally debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival under the titleThe Surrogate, and then briefly changed its name toSix Sessionsbefore settling onThe Sessions. But whatever it’s called, it’s proving well-loved. Germain called it"truly breathtaking"and named it one of hisfavoritesof this Sundance 2012, and other critics have been similarly enamored. Watch the first trailer after the jump.
[viaFirst Showing]
Head toApple.comfor the HD version.
Hawkes has been rattling around Hollywood since the ’80s, but his career jumped to the next level after his magnetic, Oscar-nominated turn inWinter’s Bone. Since then, he’s been on a hot streak with excellent projects likeMartha Marcy May Marlene,Contagion, andHigher Ground, but they’ve all been supporting roles. It’s nice to see this reliably wonderful character actor take center stage for once.
It’s tough to tell from this trailer how deep the movie really goes, and whether it crosses the line from sweet to saccharine. What is clear is thatThe Sessionsboasts a refreshingly unusual premise, and a stellar cast. In addition to Hawkes and Hunt, the drama co-starsWilliam H. Macyas Mark’s priest andMoon Bloodgoodas his therapist.The SessionsopensOctober 26.
