Starring academy award nominee john hawkes, academy award nominee william h'. '.strtoupper('m')acy and academy award winner helen hunt, the film is based on the true story of california based journalist and poet mark o'brien'. '.strtoupper('p')ortrayed by the exceptionally gifted john hawkes who gives a career defining performance, o'brien's story is the immensely poignant and surprisingly funny tale of a man, paralyzed by polio who at age 38 is determined to finally lose his virginity.