K-PAX (2001) is a mystery and/or sci-fi drama about a mental patient who claims he is an alien. During his treatment, the patient/alien, "prot" ("rhymes with 'goat' and is not capitalized"), demonstrates an outlook on life that ultimately proves inspirational for his fellow patients and especially for his psychiatrist. The movie was based on a novel of the same name, itself similar to the 1986 Argentinian film Man Facing Southeast directed by Eliseo Subiela. It also bears striking similarities to the 1995 film Eyes Beyond Seeing in which an enigmatic mental patient played by Keith Hamilton Cobb claims to be Jesus.
In Starman (1984), Jeff Bridges played an alien who takes on the visage of a human being, and is enthralled with a particular Earth food (pie). In K-PAX, he plays opposite Kevin Spacey's alien in human form whose favorite food is fruit.
In the novel, one of Prot's favorite movies is Starman (1984).
While sitting in the tree after disappearing, Prot (Kevin Spacey) answers Dr. Mark Powell's (Jeff Bridges) question of where he has been by saying he has been up north, "...Newfoundland and Labrador". Spacey shot the exterior scenes for Shipping News, The (2001) in Newfoundland during April-June 2001.
The yearbook picture of Robert Porter is the actual picture of Kevin Spacey that appears in the 1977 Chatsworth High School yearbook.
The shades worn by Kevin Spacey were actually borrowed from U2's Bono who insisted that they be returned after the movie wrapped
The original plan was that Will Smith (I) was to play Prot and Kevin Spacey Dr. Mark Powell. When Smith pulled out of the role, Spacey decided to play Prot.
