Opening in limited release Friday and poised for awards consideration later this year, THE SESSIONS is inspired by actual events and tells the touching and (amazingly) upbeat story of a 38-year-old polio survivor who decides to lose his virginity via the assistance of a sex surrogate. Written and directed by BEN LEWIN, the film features standout (not to mention incredibly brave) performances by JOHN HAWKES and HELEN HUNT as well as strong support from WILLIAM H. MACY, MOON BLOODGOOD, ADAM ARKIN and RHEA PERLMAN.

Handling scenes of sexual as well as emotional intimacy with the sort of strength and confidence that wins critics’ hearts, HAWKES recently admitted (during our interview for the film) that a lot of the credit for his performance goes to HUNT and LEWIN. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR FOR AUDIO)

THE SESSIONS opens in limited release later this week