History YMMV / TheSessions

* CriticalDissonance: Not ''quite'' an AcclaimedFlop, but close. The film had an excellent festival run and was almost universally hailed by critics, who praised its sense of humor and the performances of its two leads in particular; however, general audiences glanced at the plot summary--and the content warnings--and quickly deemed it OscarBait with a particularly AudienceAlienatingPremise. While those who actually saw the movie tended to have favorable reactions, it only made around ten million dollars in total (respectable enough in light of its $1m budget, but less so when taking into account the fact that Fox Searchlight had paid an uncommonly high $6m for the distribution rights).

* CriticalDissonance: Not ''quite'' an AcclaimedFlop, but close. The film had an excellent festival run and was almost universally hailed by critics, who praised the performances of its two leads in particular; however, general audiences glanced at the plot summary--and the content warnings--and quickly deemed it OscarBait with a particularly AudienceAlienatingPremise. While those who actually saw the movie tended to have favorable reactions, it only made around ten million dollars in total (respectable enough in light of its $1m budget, but less so when taking into account the fact that Fox Searchlight had paid an uncommonly high $6m for the distribution rights).

* CriticalDissonance: Not ''quite'' an AcclaimedFlop, but close. The film had an excellent festival run and was almost universally hailed by critics, who praised the performances of its two leads in particular; however, general audiences glanced at the plot summary--and the content warnings--and quickly deemed it OscarBait with a particularly AudienceAlienatingPremise. While those who actually saw the movie tended to have positive opinions, it only made around ten million dollars in total (respectable enough in light of its $1m budget, but less so when taking into account the fact that Fox Searchlight had paid an uncommonly high $6m for the distribution rights).

* CriticalDissonance: Not ''quite'' an AcclaimedFlop, but close. The film had an excellent festival run and was almost universally hailed by critics, who praised the performances of its two leads in particular; however, general audiences glanced at the plot summary and quickly deemed it OscarBait with a particularly AudienceAlienatingPremise. While those who actually saw the movie tended to have positive opinions, it only made around ten million dollars in total (respectable enough in light of its $1m budget, but less so when taking into account the fact that Fox Searchlight had paid an uncommonly high $6m for the distribution rights).

* SuperfluousSolo: Rather than exploring Mark's relationship with his new partner Susan in a meaningful way, the film instead chooses to devote two of its final minutes to a subplot concerning Cheryl's conversion to Judaism, which seems to exist mainly for the purpose of squeezing in a CaptainObviousAesop about loving one's body, as well as providing Cheryl with a bit more screen time prior to her appearance at the CurtainCall of Mark's funeral. And also giving her yet ''another'' opportunity to get naked, as Helen Hunt drops a bathrobe, shows full rear and full-frontal nudity, and in doing so demonstrates that there may actually be such a thing as [[EndingFatigue fanservice fatigue]].

* SuperfluousSolo: Rather than exploring Mark's relationship with his new partner Susan in a meaningful way, the film instead chooses to devote two of its final minutes to a subplot concerning Cheryl's conversion to Judaism, which seems to exist mainly for the purpose of squeezing in a CaptainObviousAesop about loving one's body, as well as providing Cheryl with a bit more screen time prior to her appearance at the CurtainCall of Mark's funeral. And also giving her yet ''another'' opportunity to get naked, as Helen Hunt drops a bathrobe, shows full rear and full-frontal nudity, and inadvertently demonstrates that there may indeed be such a thing as [[EndingFatigue fanservice fatigue]].

* {{Adorkable}}: Mark is an endearingly awkward guy who ThinksLikeARomanceNovel and maintains a good sense of humor in spite of [[IronWoobie the difficult hand he's been dealt in his life.]]
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: The film's depiction of Cheryl--is she really the self-assured and independent woman she presents herself as being, or is she more of a StepfordSmiler who uses breezy positivity to avoid confronting the genuine problems in her personal life? Her experiences with Mark cause her more emotional uncertainty than you'd expect in someone who is HappilyMarried, yet she's also willing to convert to a new religion just to please her husband and her mother-in-law.

* CriticalDissonance: Not ''quite'' an AcclaimedFlop, but it does come close. The film had an excellent festival run and was almost universally hailed by critics, but general audiences glanced at the plot summary and quickly deemed it OscarBait with a particularly AudienceAlienatingPremise. While those who actually saw the movie tended to have positive opinions, it only made around ten million dollars in total (respectable enough in light of its $1m budget, but less so when taking into account the fact that Fox Searchlight had paid an uncommonly high $6m for the distribution rights).
* InformedWrongness: Josh, Cheryl's husband, throws Mark's love poem in the trash before Cheryl gets a chance to read it. The film seems to be presenting this as evidence that he's an insensitive {{Jerkass}} who is [[GreenEyedMonster envious of Cheryl's connection with Mark]]. However, Cheryl's desire to read the poem blatantly violates ''her own protocol'' of not becoming emotionally involved with her clients, so Josh's decision to intervene before things got out of hand isn't all that unreasonable.