Copyright 2005 Braden MacDonald. All rights reserved. You may not distribute copies of this work in any form without permission.
The film K-PAX explores two aspects of our place in the universe - the importance of relationships, and how we "know" things or justify our beliefs. The film does not necessarily provide "the answer", but rather raises questions about how or even if an answer is to be found. The themes of knowledge, evidence, and belief are explored through the responses of the different characters to "Prot". Dr. Powell thinks Prot is a "convincing delusional," but prior to trying hypnosis seems to be slightly open to the possibility that Prot is non-human. The lab technicians seem to accept Prot as an alien, because he can see ultraviolet and withstand heart rates that would be dangerous for humans. Most of the patients completely believe him, especially as he begins to cure some of their mental conditions. Bess even says, "I know who you are. You're the blue bird," which seems to imply that Prot has a supernatural connection to the universe. Most of these people see the same evidence, but form very different opinions of Prot.
The most interesting response to Prot, however, is that of the film's viewers. Some leave thinking Prot is an alien, others that he's human, and others are unsure of what the film is saying. All these people have missed the point. Reviewer Berardinelli says that the ending leaves "'wiggle room' for various interpretations," but even he seems to miss the point. The point that this film is raising is that our current beliefs, bias, and expectations always shape the way we interpret evidence. Someone can watch this film who doesn't believe in aliens, and be convinced that Prot is psychotic. Or, a person open to the idea of extraterrestrials can watch and draw the opposite conclusion. That's the point, and it has a profound effect on the way we approach existential questions, such as whether or not a god exists. K-PAX isn't saying aliens exist, or "God" is an invisible force that is part of everything in the universe. It's simply warning us to remember our presuppositions as we evaluate evidence.