Maha Farag
Class ( ENG101 )
K-PAX
Joe Camp
03/24/2015

K-PAX

The intricacies and abnormalities of the human psyche have many mysterious ways to be healed. Iain Softley’s film “K-PAX” substantiates this notion through three events that render the way of healing. First, Doris has paranoid schizophrenia. This mental illness makes her refuse to leave her room. This all changes once Howie sees the sign of happiness and cure, the blue bird, an extremely unlikely occurrence. This chance event gives Doris the motivation leave her room, something that Dr. Powell had been trying relentlessly to accomplish, indicating that she is cured. Next, Ernie has a crippling fear of death rooted in his germophobia and hypochondriasis. This all changes when Howie strangles Ernie just short of the point of death, which sends Ernie to the medics. After this incident, Ernie realizes that death inevitably and unavoidable. Because of this, he must not let the fear of his demise impede on his livelihood. Finally, Dr. Powell does not have any communication with his son. This unfortunate lack of connection stems from his inability to confront and acknowledge his past. However, upon learning about Robert’s family history, and how they were tragically murdered, he realizes the importance of family. This encourages him to request that Prut invites his son to Christmas, implying that he is able to put his past behind him. So, an important theme in Softley’s “KPAX” is the resilience of the human psyche. This becomes apparent with Doris’ recovery from paranoid schizophrenia, Ernie’s ability to confront death, and finally Dr. Powell’s change of heart. These three instances demonstrate that even seemingly insurmountable mental illness can be healed.