When The Sessions hit theaters back in 2012, the buzz was almost entirely focused on one thing. You know exactly what I’m talking about. People were obsessed with the fact that Helen Hunt, an Oscar winner and household name, spent a massive chunk of the movie completely naked. It felt like a gamble. Honestly, in a Hollywood culture that usually uses nudity as a cheap thrill or a "prestige" checkbox, what Hunt did was something else entirely.
She wasn't just "bare." She was an instrument.
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The movie tells the true story of Mark O’Brien, played with incredible physical restraint by John Hawkes. Mark was a poet and journalist who spent most of his life in an iron lung thanks to polio. At 38, he decided he didn't want to die a virgin. He hired Cheryl Cohen Greene, a professional sex surrogate, to help him navigate the physical and emotional mechanics of intimacy.
Why the Nudity Wasn't Just for Show
It’s easy to get clickbaity about it, but the sessions Helen Hunt naked scenes weren't designed to be erotic in the traditional sense. They were clinical, then awkward, then deeply human. Cheryl’s job was to teach Mark how to be in his own body. To do that, she had to show him hers.
Hunt has talked about how terrifying it was. She was 49 at the time. In an industry that often treats women over 40 like they’ve expired, she stood there, fully exposed, under harsh lights. There was no "movie magic" to hide behind. No flattering shadows. Just a woman doing a job.
She met the real Cheryl Cohen Greene to prepare. She even had Cheryl record the script so she could nail that specific Boston accent. But the physical part? That was all Hunt. She realized that if she showed even a hint of modesty or "hiding," the character wouldn't work. Cheryl is a professional. For her, nudity is a tool for healing. If the actress looked embarrassed, the movie would have fallen apart.
The Double Standard Nobody Mentions
There’s a weird thing that happens in The Sessions. While Hunt is front and center, John Hawkes is almost always covered by a sheet. Director Ben Lewin later admitted this was partly to avoid an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, who are famously terrified of male anatomy.
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This creates a strange tension. Cheryl is teaching Mark to love his body, yet the camera keeps him largely hidden while she is fully revealed. It’s a bit of a contradiction. Critics at the time, like Matt Singer, pointed out this double standard. It’s a bit ironic that a film about body positivity and "seeing" a person for who they are still felt the need to protect the male lead’s modesty while the female lead bore the brunt of the exposure.
Breaking Down the "Sessions" Format
The movie is structured around six specific meetings. This wasn't a random choice; it’s how real surrogacy often works. It’s not an open-ended affair. It’s therapy with a deadline.
- The Early Awkwardness: The first few times they meet, it’s mostly talk. Mark is a devout Catholic. He’s talking to his priest, played by William H. Macy, trying to figure out if God is going to send him to hell for this.
- The Physical Breakthrough: When the clothes finally come off, it’s not a "Hollywood" sex scene. It’s a procedural. Cheryl uses mirrors. She uses touch exercises. She treats his body like something worthy of being known, which is something Mark had never experienced.
- The Emotional Fallout: Surrogacy has rules. You aren't supposed to fall in love. But when you’re that vulnerable with someone, things get messy. Hunt plays that "professional-falling-apart" vibe perfectly.
The Real Cheryl Cohen Greene
The real woman behind the character is just as fascinating. Cheryl Cohen Greene actually consulted on the film. She’s spent decades helping people with disabilities, trauma survivors, and people with extreme intimacy issues. She’s a convert to Judaism and a mother.
She once mentioned that she wanted her children to have a better relationship with their bodies than she did. That’s the core of what Hunt captured. It wasn't about being a "sex object." It was about being a teacher.
Why We Are Still Talking About This
We’re living in a time where "body positivity" is a buzzword, but The Sessions actually lived it. It didn't look like a filtered Instagram post. It looked like skin, and bone, and sweat, and fear.
Helen Hunt ended up with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and she deserved it. Not because she took her clothes off, but because she showed the radical empathy required to do so in that context. She turned herself into a mirror for Mark O’Brien to see his own value.
If you’re looking to understand the film better, the best place to start is Mark O’Brien’s original essay, "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate," published in The Sun. It’s a raw, funny, and heartbreaking piece of writing that proves why this story needed to be told.
What You Can Take Away From the Film
- Redefine Intimacy: Real connection isn't always pretty. It’s often awkward and requires a lot of communication.
- Challenge Asexuality Myths: People with disabilities are often treated as if they don't have desires. This movie shatters that.
- Appreciate the Work: Sex surrogacy is a misunderstood profession that sits at the intersection of psychology and physical therapy.
If you haven't seen it, watch it for the performances. Don't go in looking for a thrill. Go in looking for a very specific, very rare kind of human kindness. The nudity is just the beginning of the conversation.
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Read Mark O'Brien's autobiography, How I Became a Human Being, to get the full context of his life beyond the six sessions shown in the film.