The Sessions is a 2012 American independent drama film written and directed by Ben Lewin. It is based on an essay written by Mark O'Brien, a poet paralyzed by polio, who hired a sex surrogate to lose his virginity. John Hawkes and Helen Hunt star as O'Brien and sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene, respectively. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival under its original title The Surrogate and was immediately acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The Sessions was released on October 19, 2012 in the United States. As of March 20, 2013, the film has earned over $9 million at the box office.