Helen Hunt & John Hawkes In THE SESSIONS Clip

If THE SESSIONS wasn't based on a true story of Mark O'Brien, the Helen Hunt and John Hawkes movie would be a ridiculous premise. A paraplegic man in an iron lung wishes to lose his virginity with the help of a professional sex surrogate in this clip from the drama.

We first learned of the man in the iron lung through the Jessica Yu's Academy Award-winning documentary Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien.  John Hawkes (Lincoln, Eastbound & Down) plays the poet and journalist who has since died in real-life. Helen Hunt is the sex surrogate whom relieved O'Brien of his virginity. The real O'Brien published a 1990 magazine article about the whole experience.

Helen Hunt and John Hawkes are garnering positive reviews, and are said to be in the running this award season for their acting efforts.  William H. Macy also stars as the priest encouraging the devoutly Catholic man to proceed with his plan.

THE SESSIONS is playing in select movie theaters.