This is the film that I cannot stop talking about. I am not alone, as The Surrogate took home the Audience Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Surrogate tells the tale of a man who had polio and is left living life with an iron lung. Mark, this man is incapable of moving anything but his neck. Mark decides he would like to have a sexual experience and hires a sex surrogate to make this dream come true. Two things intrigued me about this film, one was Mark’s humor, which was ironic and self-deprecating; his perspective was expected and added comedy and lightness to what could be a heavy film. Second, was Mark’s relationship with his faith and especially with his priest? As Mark is making this decision to have sex, he confides in his priest and looks for his advice. This relationship caused me to question my response to Mark-as a Christian, would I give him a “free pass” as the priest says in the film, or decide he is better off celibate in accordance with the church’s teachings.
The film had me laughing, crying and thinking—all things a good film should do. Mark’s story is inspiring, as it took great bravery to live the way he did, keeping positive. Not only was he brave in just living, but also in overcoming his fears of sex and relationship. Helen Hunt gave a stunning performance as his sex surrogate. I left in awe of this great film and in conversation about it’s implications.
