K-Pax

A transient (Kevin Spacey) lands in a mental hospital when he claims to be from another planet; his psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) thinks there’s more to the would-be alien than meets the eye, especially when other patients begin to respond positively to the newcomer. I guess you could call this One Beamed Into the Cuckoo’s Nest. Charles Leavitt’s script (from Gene Brewer’s novel) treats Spacey’s character with the kind of trembling reverence we used to see in movies about the life of Jesus Christ. Director Iain Softley wrings every drop of pathos from the action, with a couple of flashy hypnosis scenes (where Spacey makes his big Oscar bid). The ending—is he or isn’t he?—tries so hard to maintain ambiguity that it’s unsatisfying. The film is reasonably well acted, but soft and sappy.