with photo —

Prot (Kevin Spacey) shares his view of the world with psychiatrist Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) in K-Pax.

Movie Review — K-Pax

By Jim Sabatini, Wethersfield

K-Pax attempts to balance a psychological patient's upbeat self-assurance in being an alien in human form with a Manhattan doctor who has become engulfed in a career and neglected his family. His attraction to this patient becomes proportional to how smart the man is in scientific knowledge, as well as to his understanding of the human mind.

The casting of Kevin Spacey as the putative, rational "Prot" and Jeff Bridges as the puzzled psychiatrist provides the makings of a supernatural turn on Awakenings, which had Robin Williams as the doctor and Robert DeNiro as a severely withdrawn patient. The possibilities are enlightened by Prot's claim to be from K-Pax, a planet out of our solar system.

He's first seen during a mugging at the busy Grand Central Station; the harmless Prot happens to be a suspect and lands at the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute, where Bridges' character Dr. Mark Powell handles the workload of a few psychiatrists. Prot always appears in awe of his surroundings; he appears to be conducting a quiet survey of a planet with great produce as he devours bananas whole. Dr. Powell finds something strange when Prot isn't affected by the medication administered to him.

Under the direction of Iain Softley, who did the character-driven period film The Wings of the Dove with Helena Bonham Carter, the two leads effortlessly follow the passion against conventionality as it reaches the fantasy realm of the likes of Field of Dreams and Starman, in which Bridges was nominated for an Oscar.

This time Bridges is in different shoes, with Spacey's prominent Prot becoming idolized by the hospital's denizens—who are a little weird, but fairly likeable. And Prot seems to be doing better work than Dr. Powell; his unusual counseling approach has quick, positive results, with one patient finally able to go outdoors.

Some of the fascination with K-Pax has to do with Prot's convincing aptitude when it comes to relating his planet with earth, the suns and other stars. Mark's astronomical friend Steve can't disprove the planet’s existence, even as the doctor senses the actions of a delusional. The Rose Center for Earth and Space proves an illuminating setting for something that earth's scientists couldn't see, even though it's common knowledge for an inhabitant of K-Pax, like Prot.

Many of the patients are fervent in wanting to go back to K-Pax with the alien, who wears sunglasses because of light sensitivity (he can see UV light). This is causing problems with Dr. Powell's boss, Dr. Claudia Villars (Alfre Woodard), who notices that Mark is spending too much time trying to figure out how to connect with a man who really seems like he cannot tell a lie.

Softley directs with deliberate attention to dialogue, and the detailed production enhances what the characters are experiencing. A Fourth of July picnic at Mark's suburban home has significance, as the doctor/ patient relationship undergoes hypnotic suggestion that would appear to link Prot to a tragedy in Arizona involving a loving family man.

As K-Pax starts to become more revelatory, Softley luckily doesn't tack on cheap, heavy sentiment as hospital patients compose essays to have the opportunity to be the one to take the journey back to K-Pax with Prot, who probably likes Earth more than he lets on.

Spacey is immersed in his role, which invites odd appeal. To his credit, he is the catalyst that makes Bridges’ understated selfishness and affection for Prot more effective than the filmmakers might have expected. Comparisons may be made with the piety in Pay It Forward with Spacey as the ambitious, yet scarred teacher to Haley Joel Osment. Nevertheless, the actor's ability to tap into Prot's psyche with determination works against the fantastical trappings of screenwriter Charles Leavitt (The Mighty), who wants to keep some of the ambiguity from Gene Brewer's source novel.

In some ways the support of these two stars seems as distant as K-Pax, with Mary McCormack unable to do much with the part of Mark's frustrated but supportive wife. Woodard has a more thankless part as he wakes up to what has inspired a mundane psychiatric facility.

Two ward men are more memorable, as Saul Williams provides energy to Ernie—who looks like he's in surgery, as he's fearful of airborne contaminants. And as the loopy Howie, who treats Prot like his favorite teacher, David Patrick Kelly exudes innocence and joy before he's told what his final task entails.

K-Pax has some philosophical resonance that works best in Bridges' expressions. As the important day of July 27 at 5:51 a.m. comes, maybe Softley makes the resolution too internalized and unstimulating. Like Dr. Powell, the idea of opening of one's eyes to his or her self through the life of another is a phenomenon that doesn't pay off cinematically, and the reality of a deluded starman leaves the viewer earthbound.