I heard a comedian doing a routine on how God never speaks to us anymore. We don't seem to get those regular visits from the big guy that seemed to happen all the time in the Bible. The comedian's idea was that maybe some of us do hear from God, they're those crazy people on the street who seem to be talking to themselves. I bring this up not so much because it was a funny routine but because that concept lends itself nicely to K-PAX, where we have a man we assume to be crazy because he claims to be from a different planet. Could it be that he is actually telling the truth?
 That is of course the central question of the movie. Prot (Kevin Spacey) is placed in a Manhattan loony bin because he says he's from a planet some thousand light years distant named K-PAX. Naturally this claim gets him labeled as crazy. In the hospital he meets with a psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges). Mark is amazed at the depth of Prot's stories about his planet of origin. He goes so far as to enlist an astrophysicist friend to try and trip up Prot's story. The only problem is that they can't find any holes in Prot's story. Even more baffling is that he seems to know highly technical things that he shouldn't be able to know.
Further adding to Mark's inability to nail down what he assumes to be Prot's delusions, is the effect that Prot has on the other patients. They start to get better after spending time with him, giving him some aura as a healer. Prot quickly starts to resemble a Christ figure. The sessions between the two men, which are the movie's heart and soul, make it hard to tell who is helping who. Mark works hard to find the source of what he assumes is the pain that makes Prot delusional while Prot seems to be providing the overworked Mark a much needed respite from routine.
This is a nicely subtle movie that doesn't try and beat you over the head with ideas or action. Instead it is content to focus on the question of whether Prot is human or an alien. The ending is coy on the matter, not quite delivering the definitive answer that we the viewers struggle with as the movie unfolds. The verdict seems to teeter back and forth, right up the movie's end but never going fully to one side or the other.
Spacey and Bridges are both near perfect for their roles. Bridges gives us a character at the other end of the spectrum from The Dude. In his hands Mark becomes a workaholic who has already lost one family and seems destined to drive a second one away. He obsesses on his clients, more concerned with their health and progress than that of his own family. Prot helps give him the perspective to get a grip on his life before things get too bad. Bridges makes all of that easily accessible without having to verbally explain it. Spacey does what he does best, creating a character who is fiercely intelligent and enjoys toying with the world around him.
The director deserves credit in not going hog wild with the other loony bin residents. Yes, we have the usual motley assortment of oddballs but for once none of them dominate the screen, stealing time from the movie's main focus. Instead they are just odd enough to be believable and funny without being showy. The movie's cinematography deserves similar credit. Beautiful, yet unusual skyline shots riddle the movie. The theme of light refracting is used often, giving the movie just a bit extra visual punch while reminding us of Prot's abilities. Again, just enough to make sure you notice but not so much as to be distracting.
K-PAX is a well shot and well acted movie that will no doubt stir debate as to Prot's true home. I like movies that stir up debates over ideas or simply how to interpret the movie. It gives us something more for our money than just some flashy effects. The thoughts and debates you can take along with you, long after the rest has faded from memory. So, for the record, I think Prot is an alien. But after watching the film, you could easily disagree. And I love that.
- John Shea
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