Grade:  C

Director:  Iain Softley		Released:  October 2001
Writer:  Charles Leavitt, from Gene Brewer's book		MPAA Rating:  PG-13
Players:  Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges		Running time:  120 minutes

Ratings System

If you're a Kevin Spacey fan, then you're sure to like K-PAX.  He's a good actor, and he makes a fine extra-terrestrial.  It's a cute little trick to have Jeff Bridges in this movie; him being an alumnus of playing a man who fell to earth in Starman.

I like this movie, it holds my attention, has some comedy, and has some interesting things to say about family and loss.  On the other hand, it's not that compelling. The time constraint put on the "mystery" seems contrived, and I would have liked a little more subtlety in some of the scenes.  For example, when a mental patient finds the "bluebird of happiness" that he had been looking for, the entire hospital is shown hootin' and hollerin' for the effect of demonstrating what a large impact the bird has on the patients.  I think the point could have been made just as well minus the unrealistic notion that word would have travelled through 6 floors of a hospital in less than 10 seconds.  Details, I know.  But hey, I'm into details!

- crocoPuffs