Mark O’Brien contracted polio when he was five. For the rest of his 49 years he needed to stay in an iron lung up to 20 hours per day. At the age of 38 he decided to hire a sex surrogate, a woman who specifically caters to the sexual needs of the disabled, not a prostitute. I had no idea there was such a thing. The treatment is six sessions or less. O'Brien's disability did not keep him from accomplishment. Although he was in effect paralyzed, muscles useless, he graduated from college and earned a living writing articles and poetry, typing with a pointer clenched between his teeth. One piece,
On Seeing a Sex Surrogate, became the basis for the film
The Sessions (2012), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. It is quite an experience, at once creepy and touching, superbly played by veterans John Hawkes and Helen Hunt. Hawkes' face was familiar, but I was unable to recall where I’d seen him. Looking through his 117 credits at IMDb revealed appearances on
The X-Files, 24, Lost, Deadwood and several other popular series. Hunt, of course, went from TV-star in
Mad About You to Oscar winner opposite Jack Nicholson in
As Good as It Gets (1997). Now past 50, her offbeat beauty seems sculpted in stone. Her body remains sleek and youthful. She is naked throughout the film. Many times I’ve mentioned my belief that 99.9% of film nudity is silly and unnecessary outside of porn. I don’t know how it could have been avoided in
The Sessions, which brings to mind two other films on disability:
Coming Home (1978), starring Jane Fonda, Jon Voight and Bruce Dern, which is more an anti-war film; and
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), a French avant-grade effort directed by artist Julian Schnabel, who was born in Brooklyn.
The Sessions takes a decidedly humanistic, grounded approach. Although it made me uncomfortable, I was riveted. It was made on a shoestring budget of one million dollars and runs just 95 minutes. On a scale of five, I rate it four. It is rated 7.2 of ten at IMDb. William H. Macy lends his usual excellent support as Baker’s priest. It was so much fun speculating what is going through his mind as he's hearing the confessions. The subtlety of his facial expressions manifest the experience of a true master of his craft.
RIP David “Deacon” Jones, 74, Hall of Fame end on the L.A. Rams defensive line known as the Fearsome Foursome that terrorized NFL QBs. He was a 14th round draft pick out of what is now Mississippi Valley State. He actually came up with the term “sack,” now an official statistic. He had 173.5, and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year. He joins line mates Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy on the other side. They are survived by Rosey Grier, 80. Jones' speed was extraordinary, unheard of for a lineman at the time, and his use of the head slap was so effective it was eventually banned.
I accompanied a friend to the doctor today, and it became a marathon of waiting, so I didn't get the chance to run the floating book shop. I look forward to tomorrow's session.
Vic's 4th Novel:
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