The word "light" conjures up many different images, ranging from the physical property to mental and spiritual illumination. Sometimes, these seem virtually to be intertwined. So when all the beams of light combine, the light that allowed the actors to be seen by the cameras, the light that projects the film on the screen and the illuminating lights that drive the plot and theme, "K-PAX" becomes a great movie.
It begins in natural form, with Prot (Kevin Spacey) seeming to arrive on a beam of light, appearing in a New York subway station. Claiming to have come from nowhere on Earth, he is shipped off to the Psychiatric Institute of Manhattan. Once there he is placed under the care of the chief of clinical psychiatry, Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges). Mark, an extremely professional and seemingly aloof doctor reluctantly takes the case, but is soon drawn into and puzzled by this man calling himself Prot.
The reason is, of course, that Prot claims to be from the planet K-PAX, located in the constellation Lyra. He says he has to come to Earth because he has never visited a class BA-3 planet (a world in the early stages of evolution with an uncertain future). But perhaps most unbelievable is his claim that more advanced civilizations, including his own, have learned how to harness the power of light. That's how he travels - through beams of light.
Though Mark is skeptical at first, even to the point of toying with Prot during their sessions, Prot is so earnest and utterly convincing that Mark decides to seek outside counsel. But when he still finds that Prot has an understanding of the universe past that of even his, Mark begins to wonder if he really does have a being from another planet on his hands.
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In the movie's subplot the arrival of Prot into the psychiatric hospital has had an amazing effect on the patients there. They all believe that they will be the one to accompany him back to K-PAX when he returns. These characters, combined with the dramatic changes in their lives, provide some of the movie's most genuinely touching moments.
Prot's effect has not been felt only in the hospital. He has also affected Mark's life and his somewhat neglected family. His showing Mark the importance of family, since on K-PAX the notion does not exist, sometimes borders on hokiness (particularly the very end), but overall rings true.
Being the analytical doctor that he is, however, Mark is convinced that Prot cannot be from outer space, but is rather a facade, protecting the real person inside from the world, caused by some traumatic event. And in the end he does solve the mystery of Prot, or at least he does for himself. In the end, however, there are a enough questions left over for the viewer to wonder who Prot really is and where he really came from.
Director Iain Softley ("The Wings of a Dove") does a masterful job of allowing Spacey and Bridges to effortlessly flow between scenes. Some of the best scenes occur when it's just the two actors verbally sparring on camera. Softley tries no tricky camera work, no fast-paced cutting and editing, but rather allows the story to gradually tell itself through the script and the sheer force of the performances.
The only interesting cinematography comes from the use of light, the shots of the sky, of sunbeams, of prisms and of rainbows. But all of this simply helps to center the film on its themes of enlightenment and wonder.
Bridges and Spacey still are the driving force behind this movie. The idea of the movie, frankly, is not an original one, but the acting is. Bridges is great as the doctor, able to come off as cynical enough to know there has to be something else behind Prot's behavior, but with enough curiosity and wonder to allow himself to grow close to him. The viewer sees him change and grow as a person throughout the movie.
It must be said that Kevin Spacey, perhaps one of the most underrated actors of our time by the general public, is the absolute star of the show. He is one of the best actors ever to grace the silver screen. One can see how much he enjoys playing this character, one where he can be as smart and as smug and as earnest as he wants to be, but he manages not to overplay the part.
The energy he brings to this role is reminiscent of another amazing actor, Jimmy Stewart, in his role as Elwood P. Dowd in the movie "Harvey." Their ability to make the viewer believe completely in their version of reality in the midst of all their doubters alone makes both movies worth watching.
This movie does have its failings, mainly in that Hollywood seems to be unable to trust the viewers to allow their imagination to fill in the blanks, but thankfully not everything about Prot is learned.
Most importantly this movie has its moments of sheer brilliance. If you are the kind of person that looks at a prism and can't help but marvel at the wonder of it then this movie will appeal to every facet of your being. And even if you're not, its complete goodness and honesty makes it more than worth the two hours and seven dollars to see.
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