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The Sessions

 The Sessions
type
TVTItem
 The Sessions
label
The Sessions
 The Sessions
page
TheSessions
 The Sessions
comment
The Sessions is a 2012 comedy-drama film written and directed by Ben Lewin and starring John Hawkes and Helen Hunt. The movie is based on the article "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate". Hawkes plays Mark O'Brien, a Berkeley-based poet and writer who has been largely incapacitated following a bout of polio at the age of six. After a disastrous interaction with one of his helpers, he is commissioned to write an article about sex and the disabled, and thereby meets sex therapist Cheryl Cohen-Greene, played by Hunt. He consults with his parish priest, Father Brendan, portrayed by William H. Macy, and ultimately decides that he wants to lose his virginity before he dies. Hunt was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2013 Academy Awards for her performance in the film.This film exhibits the following tropes:
 The Sessions
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2024-04-03T10:56:32Z
 The Sessions
parsed
2024-04-03T10:56:32Z
 The Sessions
processingComment
Dropped link to AnAesop: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 The Sessions
processingComment
Dropped link to SpeedSex: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Sessions
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DBTropes
 The Sessions / int_12bae520
type
Big Prick, Big Problems
 The Sessions / int_12bae520
comment
Big Prick, Big Problems: Mark becomes worried that his penis will be too large to fit inside Cheryl, which results in his having a panic attack when they attempt intercourse for the first time. Downplayed in that it's unclear just how much his fretting was justified, since his appendage is never shown onscreen (although Cheryl describes it as "handsome and substantial").
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The Sessions / int_12bae520
 The Sessions / int_1420a9b8
type
Scenery Censor
 The Sessions / int_1420a9b8
comment
Scenery Censor: During the sex scenes, Mark is always covered up in some way, often with a Modesty Bedsheet. Other times, Cheryl—for whom this trope is very strongly averted—becomes his scenery censor when she straddles him.
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The Sessions / int_1420a9b8
 The Sessions / int_1589afa2
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Freakiness Shame
 The Sessions / int_1589afa2
comment
Freakiness Shame: Mark has this.
 The Sessions / int_1589afa2
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The Sessions / int_1589afa2
 The Sessions / int_15aa2b3c
type
The Confidant
 The Sessions / int_15aa2b3c
comment
The Confidant: Father Brendan gives Mark the go-ahead to have sex, patiently listens to even his horniest and most embarrassing confessions, and tries his best to offer him helpful advice.
 The Sessions / int_15aa2b3c
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The Sessions / int_15aa2b3c
 The Sessions / int_1871eaca
type
Strangely Arousing
 The Sessions / int_1871eaca
comment
Mark gets aroused by the sound of Cheryl peeing. He later discusses this with Father Brendan; another churchgoer overhears and is clearly not amused.
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The Sessions / int_1871eaca
 The Sessions / int_191535aa
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Eiffel Tower Effect
 The Sessions / int_191535aa
comment
Eiffel Tower Effect: A shot of the Golden Gate Bridge visually signposts the fact that the film takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 The Sessions / int_191535aa
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The Sessions / int_191535aa
 The Sessions / int_3621828
type
Jizzed in My Pants
 The Sessions / int_3621828
comment
Jizzed in My Pants: Before Cheryl, this was the closest that Mark got to sex, often unintentionally with his helpers when they were bathing him. With Cheryl, he fires off too early several times before he gains enough experience to not orgasm at a touch.
 The Sessions / int_3621828
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The Sessions / int_3621828
 The Sessions / int_3a7266d3
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Must Not Die a Virgin
 The Sessions / int_3a7266d3
comment
Must Not Die a Virgin: Part of Mark's reasoning for working with Cheryl is that he figures he doesn't have much longer left to live.
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The Sessions / int_3a7266d3
 The Sessions / int_3f6b4b04
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Just the Way You Are
 The Sessions / int_3f6b4b04
comment
It's important to love and care for your body just the way it is.
 The Sessions / int_3f6b4b04
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The Sessions / int_3f6b4b04
 The Sessions / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 The Sessions / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Mark does end up finding true love with Susan, but dies young, as he always assumed he would. The movie's final scene shows Cheryl attending his funeral around ten years after their sessions together.
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The Sessions / int_40cc0c7e
 The Sessions / int_424d15ad
type
Love Hurts
 The Sessions / int_424d15ad
comment
Love Hurts: Mark develops a crush on Amanda, an attractive young woman working as one of his caretakers, and awkwardly proposes marriage to her. To his dismay, she's extremely unnerved and winds up abandoning him. She returns at the end of the movie, though, and both she and Mark admit that they could have handled the situation better. Eventually, she's one of the attendees at his funeral.
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The Sessions / int_424d15ad
 The Sessions / int_4a08416a
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Cupid's Arrow
 The Sessions / int_4a08416a
comment
Cupid's Arrow: Cheryl and Mark start to develop romantic feelings for one another, despite knowing that they can never be in a relationship.
 The Sessions / int_4a08416a
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The Sessions / int_4a08416a
 The Sessions / int_4b0ef86e
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Advertised Extra
 The Sessions / int_4b0ef86e
comment
Advertised Extra: Rhea Perlman, who plays the attendant helping Cheryl convert to Judaism, gets a prominent billing in the opening credits, even though she appears in exactly one scene for less than a full minute of screen time.
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The Sessions / int_4b0ef86e
 The Sessions / int_4e2d95e
type
Thanks for the Mammary
 The Sessions / int_4e2d95e
comment
Thanks for the Mammary: At the beginning of their first session, Cheryl helps Mark fondle her breasts.
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The Sessions / int_4e2d95e
 The Sessions / int_54bb502b
type
Nobody Poops
 The Sessions / int_54bb502b
comment
Nobody Poops: Averted, as Cheryl goes to the bathroom to pee midway through one of the sessions.
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The Sessions / int_54bb502b
 The Sessions / int_5d25f366
type
You Can Leave Your Hat On
 The Sessions / int_5d25f366
comment
You Can Leave Your Hat On: Played with. Cheryl takes her clothes off in front of Mark on multiple occasions, and encourages him to watch her doing so for his sexual gratification; later on her conversion to Judaism requires her to strip naked in front of an older female attendant. However, all of this is shot in an extremely matter-of-fact, unadorned manner that parallels Cheryl's liberated yet grounded relationship with her body and her sexuality.
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The Sessions / int_5d25f366
 The Sessions / int_5fce7087
type
Safe, Sane, and Consensual
 The Sessions / int_5fce7087
comment
Sex can be weird, awkward, and embarrassing, but that's okay—what ultimately matters most is that those involved are open about their needs and desires, and that they treat one another with acceptance, kindness and respect. Or, more simply: so long as it's Safe, Sane, and Consensual, then Sex Is Good.
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The Sessions / int_5fce7087
 The Sessions / int_6ccba96b
type
Talking in Bed
 The Sessions / int_6ccba96b
comment
Talking in Bed: Cheryl and Mark do this on multiple occasions. Their conversations become more emotionally revealing and vulnerable as time goes on.
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The Sessions / int_6ccba96b
 The Sessions / int_718c561
type
Performance Anxiety
 The Sessions / int_718c561
comment
Performance Anxiety: Mark, big time. He's extremely nervous before his first session, and many of the difficulties he experiences trying to have sex with Cheryl have as much—if not more—to do with his various neuroses as they do his actual physical disability.
 The Sessions / int_718c561
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The Sessions / int_718c561
 The Sessions / int_743af60d
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Sex Is Interesting
 The Sessions / int_743af60d
comment
Sex Is Interesting: The whole movie revolves around the topic of sex.
 The Sessions / int_743af60d
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The Sessions / int_743af60d
 The Sessions / int_77063cd7
type
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
 The Sessions / int_77063cd7
comment
Mark runs into this due to his erroneously thinking of Cheryl as a Hooker with a Heart of Gold. When they meet for the first time, he immediately commits a faux-pas by pointing out that "your money's on the dresser." Luckily, Cheryl doesn't hold it against him, and is willing to explain to him (and the audience) what separates her job from The Oldest Profession.
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The Sessions / int_77063cd7
 The Sessions / int_7efd2e30
type
Expository Hairstyle Change
 The Sessions / int_7efd2e30
comment
Expository Hairstyle Change: Cheryl’s hair is naturally wavy for most of the movie, but it’s straightened in the final scene at Mark’s funeral.
 The Sessions / int_7efd2e30
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The Sessions / int_7efd2e30
 The Sessions / int_8984e5d1
type
Commonality Connection
 The Sessions / int_8984e5d1
comment
Commonality Connection: Mark and Cheryl have both moved to Berkeley from Massachusetts, and both come from Catholic backgrounds.
 The Sessions / int_8984e5d1
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The Sessions / int_8984e5d1
 The Sessions / int_99390db0
type
Saintly Church
 The Sessions / int_99390db0
comment
Saintly Church: As represented by Father Brendan, the Catholic church gets a largely positive depiction. Judaism is also shown in a favorable light.
 The Sessions / int_99390db0
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The Sessions / int_99390db0
 The Sessions / int_9d0cfdb9
type
Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny
 The Sessions / int_9d0cfdb9
comment
Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: Mark's Catholic upbringing, as well as the difficulties of his condition, leave him leery of giving into his sexual desires. It is up to Cheryl to convince him otherwise.
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The Sessions / int_9d0cfdb9
 The Sessions / int_9dadfaee
type
Fetish
 The Sessions / int_9dadfaee
comment
Fetish: Mark's sexual fantasies apparently center around the idea of being punished, although the audience only learns about this through Cheryl's post-session notes. Mark gets aroused by the sound of Cheryl peeing. He later discusses this with Father Brendan; another churchgoer overhears and is clearly not amused.
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The Sessions / int_9dadfaee
 The Sessions / int_9dd2af4a
type
Inspirationally Disadvantaged
 The Sessions / int_9dd2af4a
comment
Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Mark faces this in his life, with the media making a big point of him successfully graduating from college and becoming a writer.
 The Sessions / int_9dd2af4a
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The Sessions / int_9dd2af4a
 The Sessions / int_9df812ad
type
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl
 The Sessions / int_9df812ad
comment
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Well, "tiny guy," at least. In Real Life, Mark O'Brien was less than five feet tall due to his condition. John Hawkes is actually 5'10", but the film's camera angles generally obscure the lower half of his body, helping to leave the impression that Mark is small and frail.
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The Sessions / int_9df812ad
 The Sessions / int_9e09fbd7
type
New-Age Retro Hippie
 The Sessions / int_9e09fbd7
comment
New-Age Retro Hippie: Long-haired Father Brendan is a devoutly Catholic variant on this trope.
 The Sessions / int_9e09fbd7
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The Sessions / int_9e09fbd7
 The Sessions / int_9fdb1baf
type
Cannot Talk to Women
 The Sessions / int_9fdb1baf
comment
Cannot Talk to Women: Inverted; at the start of the film this is pretty much all that Mark can do with them.
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The Sessions / int_9fdb1baf
 The Sessions / int_a58e5ad7
type
Naked People Are Funny
 The Sessions / int_a58e5ad7
comment
Naked People Are Funny: Cheryl and Mark's third session begins with a close-up on Cheryl's rather pained-looking face accompanied by the sound of muffled grunts coming from offscreen. Cut to the Reveal Shot: a full rear view of a butt-naked Cheryl kneeling over Mark's head as he struggles to perform oral sex on her. It's startlingly explicit (on Cheryl's part, at least) and played for Cringe Comedy, particularly when, to Cheryl's horror, Mark announces that he's choking.
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The Sessions / int_a58e5ad7
 The Sessions / int_a7382a73
type
Imagine Spot
 The Sessions / int_a7382a73
comment
Amanda is seen taking a bath with her boyfriend, and one of Mark's Imagine Spots has him envision her as a scantily-clad pole dancer.
 The Sessions / int_a7382a73
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The Sessions / int_a7382a73
 The Sessions / int_acedb8f5
type
Oscar Bait
 The Sessions / int_acedb8f5
comment
Oscar Bait: An inspirational, bittersweet dramedy, based on a true story about a disabled person, starring a respected character actor in a demanding and physically transformative performance, and a former Best Actress winner going full-frontal in her late forties. For all of these reasons, the movie was widely tipped to be a major contender at the 2013 Academy Awards, but it wound up only getting nominated for one Oscar, which it didn't win.
 The Sessions / int_acedb8f5
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The Sessions / int_acedb8f5
 The Sessions / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 The Sessions / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: Mark, when the power goes out in his house, as he knows he can't survive long without his iron lung.
 The Sessions / int_ad1db87c
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The Sessions / int_ad1db87c
 The Sessions / int_ae3d6438
type
Deadpan Snarker
 The Sessions / int_ae3d6438
comment
Deadpan Snarker: Mark's unapologetically blunt caretaker Vera.
 The Sessions / int_ae3d6438
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The Sessions / int_ae3d6438
 The Sessions / int_af3ff126
type
Idealized Sex
 The Sessions / int_af3ff126
comment
Idealized Sex: Deliberately averted and deconstructed. The movie showcases the mechanics of sex, warts and all, with Mark's disability regularly leading to situations which are awkward and sometimes downright cringeworthy.
 The Sessions / int_af3ff126
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The Sessions / int_af3ff126
 The Sessions / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 The Sessions / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: Cheryl manages to both subvert and exaggerate the trope at the same time. On the one hand, she's an amiable forty-something mother who doesn't really play up her sexiness despite her line of work. On the other hand, she spends most of her time onscreen completely naked, to the point where it's no exaggeration to say that Helen Hunt does more nudity in this one movie than most American actresses do in their entire careers. Amanda is seen taking a bath with her boyfriend, and one of Mark's Imagine Spots has him envision her as a scantily-clad pole dancer.
 The Sessions / int_b032e4ed
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The Sessions / int_b032e4ed
 The Sessions / int_b3f4b615
type
Raging Stiffie
 The Sessions / int_b3f4b615
comment
Raging Stiffie: Happens to Mark quite often, despite his best efforts to control himself.
 The Sessions / int_b3f4b615
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The Sessions / int_b3f4b615
 The Sessions / int_bce904b2
type
Desperately Craves Affection
 The Sessions / int_bce904b2
comment
Desperately Craves Affection: Mark seems to fall head-over-heels for basically any attractive woman who is nice to him. Given his condition, it's fairly understandable.
 The Sessions / int_bce904b2
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The Sessions / int_bce904b2
 The Sessions / int_c10da874
type
The '80s
 The Sessions / int_c10da874
comment
The '80s: Most of the movie takes place in 1988.
 The Sessions / int_c10da874
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The Sessions / int_c10da874
 The Sessions / int_c3448a6f
type
Informed Attribute
 The Sessions / int_c3448a6f
comment
Mark's sexual fantasies apparently center around the idea of being punished, although the audience only learns about this through Cheryl's post-session notes.
 The Sessions / int_c3448a6f
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The Sessions / int_c3448a6f
 The Sessions / int_c52498b0
type
NiceGal
 The Sessions / int_c52498b0
comment
Nice Gal: Cheryl is a warmhearted, selfless and extremely open-minded woman who genuinely wants the best for her clients.
 The Sessions / int_c52498b0
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The Sessions / int_c52498b0
 The Sessions / int_c9e5a634
type
Post Coital Collapse
 The Sessions / int_c9e5a634
comment
Post-Coital Collapse: Cheryl does this the one time Mark actually manages to give her an orgasm.
 The Sessions / int_c9e5a634
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The Sessions / int_c9e5a634
 The Sessions / int_d0243fe7
type
Crying After Sex
 The Sessions / int_d0243fe7
comment
Crying After Sex: Averted, but Mark admits in voiceover that he was so happy to have successfully had sex with Cheryl that he “almost wept.�
 The Sessions / int_d0243fe7
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The Sessions / int_d0243fe7
 The Sessions / int_d03fc3f1
type
Good Shepherd
 The Sessions / int_d03fc3f1
comment
Good Shepherd: Father Brendan is a benevolent Catholic priest who truly wants to help Mark reconcile his faith with his Quest for Sex.
 The Sessions / int_d03fc3f1
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The Sessions / int_d03fc3f1
 The Sessions / int_d28eb9e1
type
Serial Romeo
 The Sessions / int_d28eb9e1
comment
Serial Romeo: Invoked and Played for Laughs.
 The Sessions / int_d28eb9e1
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The Sessions / int_d28eb9e1
 The Sessions / int_da346c6b
type
Disabled Snarker
 The Sessions / int_da346c6b
comment
Disabled Snarker: Mark only has his words to interact with the world, and he makes the most of them. He also has no trouble using his handicap as the subject of a joke.
 The Sessions / int_da346c6b
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The Sessions / int_da346c6b
 The Sessions / int_db51f4f5
type
The Grunting Orgasm
 The Sessions / int_db51f4f5
comment
The Grunting Orgasm: Consistently for Mark, and usually accompanied by expletives as well.
 The Sessions / int_db51f4f5
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The Sessions / int_db51f4f5
 The Sessions / int_dd2444d3
type
Shiksa Goddess
 The Sessions / int_dd2444d3
comment
Shiksa Goddess: Cheryl comes from a Christian background but is married to a Jewish man. At his urging, she eventually converts.
 The Sessions / int_dd2444d3
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The Sessions / int_dd2444d3
 The Sessions / int_dd6ce5db
type
Artistic License
 The Sessions / int_dd6ce5db
comment
Artistic License: The movie is based on true events, but a substantial proportion of what's shown onscreen is fictional. For instance many of the supporting characters are made up, and the romantic undertones to Cheryl and Mark's relationship weren't present in reality. Cheryl's personal life is also significantly altered: she was a mother to two children, rather than having one son as depicted in the film, and she had converted to Judaism around two decades prior to meeting Mark.
 The Sessions / int_dd6ce5db
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The Sessions / int_dd6ce5db
 The Sessions / int_e80cdd72
type
Almost Out of Oxygen
 The Sessions / int_e80cdd72
comment
Almost Out of Oxygen: Mark can only spend a few hours at a time outside of his iron lung, as he's too physically weak to breathe on his own for any longer than that.
 The Sessions / int_e80cdd72
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 The Sessions
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The Sessions / int_e80cdd72
 The Sessions / int_ece948d8
type
Tender Tears
 The Sessions / int_ece948d8
comment
Tender Tears: Cheryl breaks down crying in her car after her final session with Mark, revealing the extent to which her feelings for him have developed.
 The Sessions / int_ece948d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Sessions / int_ece948d8
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The Sessions / int_ece948d8
 The Sessions / int_f727b9c5
type
The Body Parts That Must Not Be Named
 The Sessions / int_f727b9c5
comment
The Body Parts That Must Not Be Named: Averted. In keeping with her line of work and her generally uninhibited personality, Cheryl definitely isn't shy about discussing sex organs.
 The Sessions / int_f727b9c5
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-1.0
 The Sessions / int_f727b9c5
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The Sessions / int_f727b9c5
 The Sessions / int_faa71569
type
Romantic False Lead
 The Sessions / int_faa71569
comment
Romantic False Lead: Mark and Cheryl are this for one another. In fact, they agree to end at four sessions instead of the planned six because they can see that they are developing an emotional attraction to one another, which is a major professional no-no for Cheryl in particular. After the sessions are over, Mark begins an actual long-term relationship with a woman named Susan Fernbach, while Cheryl stays with her husband.
 The Sessions / int_faa71569
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Sessions / int_faa71569
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 The Sessions
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The Sessions / int_faa71569
 The Sessions / int_faf4a043
type
Good Adultery, Bad Adultery
 The Sessions / int_faf4a043
comment
Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: Good. Although Cheryl is technically cheating on her husband—from a physical perspective at least—every time she takes on a new client, her ultimate goal is to help people become more comfortable with their sexuality.
 The Sessions / int_faf4a043
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Sessions / int_faf4a043
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 The Sessions
hasFeature
The Sessions / int_faf4a043
 The Sessions / int_ff17ccf1
type
Innocently Insensitive
 The Sessions / int_ff17ccf1
comment
Innocently Insensitive: Mark runs into this due to his erroneously thinking of Cheryl as a Hooker with a Heart of Gold. When they meet for the first time, he immediately commits a faux-pas by pointing out that "your money's on the dresser." Luckily, Cheryl doesn't hold it against him, and is willing to explain to him (and the audience) what separates her job from The Oldest Profession. The clerk at the motel where Mark and Cheryl have their final two sessions asks Mark's carer Vera some fairly inappropriate questions about Mark and his disability, and later hits on her in a harmless but unsubtle manner.
 The Sessions / int_ff17ccf1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Sessions / int_ff17ccf1
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The Sessions / int_ff17ccf1
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The Sessions

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