Plot
A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.

Release Year: 2012

Rating: 6.4/10 (432 voted)

Director: Ben Lewin

Stars: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy

Storyline
At the age of 36, Mark O'Brien, a man who uses an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and his priest, he contacts Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a professional sex surrogate and a typical soccer mom with a house, a mortgage and a husband. Inspired by a true story, The Surrogate, follows the fascinating relationship which evolves between Cheryl and Mark as she takes him on his journey to manhood.

Cast:
John Hawkes - Mark
Helen Hunt - Cheryl
William H. Macy - Father Brendan
Moon Bloodgood - Vera
Annika Marks - Amanda
Adam Arkin - Josh
Rhea Perlman - Mikvah Lady
W. Earl Brown - Rod
Robin Weigert - Susan
Blake Lindsley - Dr. Laura White
Ming Lo - Clerk
Rusty Schwimmer - Joan
Jennifer Kumiyama - Carmen
Tobias Forrest - Greg
Jarrod Bailey - Tony

Release Date: 19 October 2012

Technical Specs

Runtime: 95 min

User Review

An unusual story most skillfully handled

Rating: 9/10

The niche subject matter will not be to everyone's taste but the handling of it by the artful Ben Lewin has been most skillfully and sensitively handled. The casting, particularly Helen Hunt, is ideal and Ben's subtle Jewish humour adds just the right touch to what could so easily have become a difficult story to keep on the move. As the film progressed I became increasingly intrigued by how it might end but it never loses interest and the combination of a tight script, good acting and very sensitive direction keeps the tension right to the end. Although a low budget production, it never feels like it and is vastly more satisfying than the big name run-of-the-mill rubbish Hollywood churns out far too often. This is a rewarding film in its own right and a valuable study into how tough life is for the seriously disabled. It provides a great service to everyone caught in such extreme circumstances and deserves success.

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