K-PAX (2001) - full transcript

PROT is a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a far away planet. His psychiatrist tries to help him, only to begin to doubt his own explanations.

[ Man On P.A., Indistinct ]

[ Man ]
A dollar for a homeless vet.
Come on, little man.

Come on, little man.
I fought the war
with your daddy.

Y'all ain't paid me
for this leg yet.
Thank you, sugar.

Jackie chan!
Jackie chan!

Shanghai noon.
[ Karate Yell ]

I take traveler's checks.
Arikato to you too.
Thank you, sugar.

[ Chuckles ]

Here you go.

Thanks.

[ Woman Screams ]
You kids!



[ Arguing, Indistinct ]

[ Sobbing ]

-Here.
-[ Woman ] Hold
it right there!

[ Man ] what happened?

[ Woman ] step away from her.

Oh, man,
he ain't done nothing.

-Those kids.
-Who took your bag? This man?

No, it was a couple of punks.
They came and
they just ran off.

Four-eight, this is romano.
Robbery and assault victim...

With facial wound
at east 42nd entrance.

Sir, I'd like you
to just stand right there.

Certainly.

Are you traveling somewhere?

I have arrived.
My travels are over
for the time being.



Where's your luggage?

I don't require luggage.

Do you have a ticket?

Train ticket?
Ticket stub?

I didn't arrive by train.

Would you remove
your sunglasses
for me, please?

Oh, I'd rather not.
I'd forgotten,
but I mean, wow,

your planet
is really bright.

I see.
East 42, we have an e.d.p.

I have to ask you
to come with us, sir.

Of course.

[ Handcuffs Lock ]

[ Female Officer ]
Freddy!

Did you see this fella
come out of a gate?

He didn't come from no gate.
Brother came from nowhere.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, freddy,
I know what you're saying.

[ Car Door Closes ]

[ Car Engine Starts ]

[ Car Door Opens, Closes ]

I don't wanna go outside,
because there's
things that can kill you--

Thank you.

If you breathe
all those chemicals out there,

not to mention the cosmic rays
and the west nile virus,

and that other one--
The new airborne pigeon

disease nobody wants to talk
about.

The new pigeon disease.
I've heard of that.

Another thing that's been
bothering me is the food.

The cafeteria serves
lukewarm food, full of germs.

You really need
to do something
about that, Dr. Powell.

Heat is the only thing
that kills germs. Heat.

Point taken.
We'll look into
that right away.

In the meantime,
I want you to start
taking your medication again.

It'll help you sleep.
And you need the sleep, ernie.

Sleep is good.

[ Buzzer Buzzes ]

Is our time up?

Only for today, ernie.

TWO CALLS:
your wife,
bring home a bottle of wine.

-Yeah.
-And Dr. Chakraborty.

A transfer from bellevue
he wants you to
take a look at.

Great. Who is it this time?
Jesus christ or joan of arc?

Dr. Chakraborty didn't say.

[ Man ]
He arrived at
bellevue a month ago,

suspicion of
hallucinogenic intoxication.

But, uh, he was found
negative for
substances of any kind.

His ekg, his blood value
are all normal.

There's no sign of concussion,
no brain tumor,

no temporal lobe, epilepsy,
no indication of organic
abnormality whatsoever.

However, after one month,

his amnesia and his delusion
have persisted.

He claims to be not human.

A visitor
from another planet.

They administered thorazine
on this guy for three weeks...

At 300 milligrams a day,
and he was unresponsive?

How can you be unresponsive
to 300 milligrams of
thorazine? It's impossible.

That's why
they sent him to you.

[ Sighs ]
Terrific.

No I.d.,
no missing persons report
matching his description.

What's this?

He had it on him.

Well, let's hope
extraterrestrials
qualify for medicaid.

[ Secretary ]
He's here, Doctor.

Thank you, joyce.

Medical record 2-8-7.
Calls himself prot.

[ Knock At Door,
Door Opens ]

This one's as gentle
as a pussycat, doc.

Come in.
Have a seat.

"Have a seat."
Curious expression.

Well, let me introduce
myself. I'm--

Dr. Mark powell,
chief of
clinical psychiatry...

Of the manhattan
psychiatric institute.

Good. You know
where you are.

Well, now, uh...
Prot, is it?

"Prote."

"I see, "prote."

Well, prot, we're here to--

May I?

Please.

Red delicious.
You call this variety.

It's my favorite.

I'd like to begin
by asking you...

If you know
why you're here.

Of course.
You think I'm crazy.

We prefer the term "ill."
Do you think you are ill?

A little homesick, perhaps.

Really.
Where is home?

K-pax.

K-pax?

Capital "k," hyphen,
capitals "p-a-x."

K-pax is a planet.

But don't worry,
I'm not going to
leap out of your chest.

I'm not worried.

It's just that I'm only
familiar with nine planets.

Well, actually, there are ten,
but that doesn't matter.

I'm not from
your solar system.

K-pax is about 1,000
of your
light-years away from here...

In what you would call
your constellation lyra.

That's quite a ways.

I'm curious.
How did you get to earth?

It's a matter of harnessing
the energy of light.

I know that sounds
crazy to you.

You beings are eons away
from discovering light travel.

You travel
at the speed of light?

Oh, no. We can travel
many times that speed.
Various multiples of "c."

Otherwise, the trip here
would have taken about
1,000 years now, wouldn't it?

What if, um,
I were to tell you...

That according to a man
who lived on our
planet named einstein,

that nothing can travel
faster than
the speed of light?

I would say that you misread
einstein, Dr.
Powell. May I call you mark?

You see, mark,
what einstein actually said...

Was that
nothing can accelerate
to the speed of light,

because its mass
would become infinite.

Einstein said nothing about
entities already traveling at
the speed of light or faster,

at tachyon speeds.

tachyon?

I detect a note
of skepticism, Dr. Powell.

Oh, not at all.
It's just that you--

You speak english
so well.

I'm amazed.

Well, english isn't that
difficult a language to learn.

You should try speaking--
[ Speaking Alien Language ]

I'm--
[ Clears Throat
] I'm confused.

Maybe you can explain
it to me. Uh...

How is it that
being a visitor from space,

that you-you look
so much like me...

Or anyone else from earth?

Why is a soap bubble round?

Why is a soap bubble round?

You know, for an educated
person, mark, you
repeat things quite a bit.

Are you aware of that?

A soap bubble is round...

Because it is the most
energy-efficient
configuration.

Similarly, on your planet,
I look like you.

On k-pax,
I look like a k-paxian.

Prot,

why did you want to
come to our planet?

Well, I've been here
many times before.

But what brought me
here first? I don't know.

Pure curiosity, I guess.

I'd never been to
a class ba-3 planet before.

Class ba-3?

Early stage of evolution.

Future uncertain.

[ Man ]
And if I give all my
possessions to feed the poor--

[ Whispering ]
Howie. Go on. Talk to him.

Go on.

You're really from...
Up there?

Indeed.

I am from k-pax.

What--

What sort of place is it?

K-pax is bigger
than your planet.

But we are circled
by seven purple moons.

Bullshit, bullshit,
bullshit, bullshit,

bullshit, bullshit,
bullshit.

Go on.

Well, k-pax is most lovely
when k-mon and k-ril
are in conjunction.

Those are our two suns.
What you would
call agape and satori.

[ Train Clacking ]

[ Car Door Slams ]

You finish
your homework, abby?

Yeah.

I lost another tooth.

Oh, yeah? Let me see.
Hey! Maybe the tooth
fairy will come tonight. Huh?

There's no such thing
as the tooth fairy, dad.

There's just you and mom.

I fed them already.
I couldn't wait.
How was your day?

OH, 6:15 was late.
Didn't leave
the station TILL 6:30.

Should have caught
the nearest beam of light.

You should have caught what?

Oh, nothing. How was your day?

Good.

Sent the deposit in
for the house on the cape for
the last two weeks of august.

Which works out perfectly,
'cause abby doesn't get
out of camp till the 15th.

Sent the deposit in?

-Yeah.
-Come on, rache.

That wasn't definite.
We were just talking.
I said maybe.

Maybe sometime in august
we'll clear it.

Maybe. Maybe we should start
paying you for your time.
You got a family rate?

Oh, look.
They published my letter.

I spoke with
natalie about going

into the after-school
program next year,

in case
I go back to teaching.

And this morning my head
fell off, but I was able to

sew it back on with dental
floss.

Waxed, of course.

Dental floss?

Sorry.
I wasn't listening.

Yeah, I know.
Let's just eat.

[ Sighs ]
Train was late. I'm tired.

And to top it off,
the city is
dumping patients on us.

I know.

You stink.

Have a nice day, sal.

[ Prot ]
I've been to 64
planets within our galaxy.

Earth is the only one with
your species, homo sapiens,
that I've visited so far.

[ Dr. Powell's Voice ]
And when did you
arrive on earth?

[ Prot's Voice ]
Four years and
nine months ago.

[ Dr. Powell ]
So that makes you how old?

[ Prot ]
In earth terms, 337 years old.

I aged about
seven getting here,

traveling at six
multiples of "c."

But really, marko,
it only seemed
like an instant.

Marko?

[ Prot ] time may warp
at super light speed.

I'd say
access one psychosis nos.

That's glib to
call him a psychotic. That's
a wastebasket diagnosis.

Oh, yeah?
He believes he traveled
here from another planet.

What's your diagnosis,
jet lag?

Well, how come he didn't
respond to the haldol?

[ Woman ]
Haldol can make
you more psychotic.

It's rare,
but it does happen.

Look. I'm not saying
that medication
can't be a useful tool...

To help somebody like this,
but you can't--

He may be a good subject
for the "betazine" protocol.
The drug's on clinical trial.

You want to experiment on him
before we have a diagnosis?

Do you have some other idea?

He's not a danger to anyone.
How about getting
to know him first?

In the meantime,
we have ten new
transfers to take care of.

[ Dr. Powell ]
You know, maybe
what's wrong with him...

Is that he is.

Is what?

From the planet k-pax.

[ Laughter ]

[ Woman, Indistinct ]

[ Sniffs ]

Mmm.

Your produce alone
has been worth the trip.

[ Dr. Powell ]
Could you tell me...

A bit about your boyhood
on k-pax?

Where were you born?

You were, uh,
born, right?

K-paxians have babies?

Oh, yes, much like on earth,
but unlike you humans,

the reproductive process
is quite unpleasant for us.

Could you compare
the effect to something
that I might understand?

Like a toothache?

It's more like having
your nuts in a vise,

except we feel it all over.

And to make matters worse,
the sensation is associated...

With something
like your nausea,

accompanied by
a very bad smell.

The moment of climax is like
being kicked in the stomach,

and then falling into a pool
of mod droppings.

Mod droppings?

A mod is a being,
much like your skunk,
only far more potent.

Uh, if it's such
a terrible experience,

uh, how do you reproduce?

As carefully as possible.

What are you doing?

Well, you just reminded me
of something I want to
include in my report.

Your report.

Yes, it's our custom...

To compile descriptions
of the various places
and people we encounter...

Throughout the galaxy.

Morning, betty.

Good morning, prot.

Morning, navarro.

Hey, what's up, man?

Mr. Friedman.
Morning, maria.

I'm vanessa.

[ Navarro ] just chill.

Morning, bess.

She doesn't talk to anybody.
Afraid smoke will come out
of her mouth when she talks.

Been here since
she was a little girl.
Burned her house down.

Shouldn't play with matches.
Very dangerous.

It was an electrical fire.
Why do you make up
stories like that?

Ernie has a very powerful
imagination.

[ Woman ]
Philistine!

Come on, doris.
You gotta come out
of your room sometime.

Look what I brought
just for you.

[ Doris ]
Pooh, pooh, pooh,
pooh, pooh, pooh, pooh, pooh.

[ Intern ]
Do that again,
you go up to three.

Her royal highness never,
ever comes out of her room.
Not even for eating.

No wonder she's here.
I'm sick and
tired of this shit.

Every day, coming up here
and shooting food at me.
I hate this.

[ Clanging ]

The service here
is atrocious!

Good morning, Mrs. Archer.
Doris.

[ Chuckles ]

I wasn't expecting
any gentleman callers...

Until this afternoon.

Excuse me.

You have a place
set for two.

Oh, yes. Um...
I'm expecting someone.

How long
have you been waiting?

Eleven years.

[ Laughs ]

For some around here
might...

Call that crazy,
but I prefer to call it...

[ Sniffles ]
Romantic.

Romantic.

Like a, uh...

Waltz in the moonlight,
or a...

Candlelit dinner...

Or a sunset.

Oh, we have those.

On k-pax, we have two suns.

They rise together
only once every 200 years.

And that is quite a sight.

He most definitely
has
a sensitivity to white light,

but I think
it's his range that
you'll find interesting.

What am I looking at?

He can detect light
at a wavelength of up
to 300 to 400 angstroms.

Ultraviolet.

Of course,
prot's explanation is that...

Due to his planet's
peculiar quality of
light caused by its two suns,

k-paxians are used to
light conditions much like
our twilight most of the time.

W-wait a minute.
Chuck, I didn't think...

Human beings could see
ultraviolet light.

We can't.

Good morning, joyce.

That's a lovely configuration
you're wearing today.

Thank you.

Macy's.

Come in.

This is so much better.

It's a lot like home.

Well, uh, prot,

I was hoping you'd tell me
more about home.

Well, what would you
like to know?

Well, uh, do you, um,

do you have a family
on k-pax?

It doesn't work on k-pax
the same way it
works here, mark.

On k-pax, we don't
have families in the way
that you think of them.

In fact, a family would be
a non sequitur on our planet,
as it would on most others.

In other words, um,

you, uh, you never knew
your parents.

On k-pax, children are not
raised by their biological

parents, mark, but by
everyone.

They circulate among us,
learning from one
and then another.

Do you have a child?

No.

Do you have a wife waiting
back for you on k-pax?

Mark. Mark. mark.

You are not really listening
to what I'm
saying to you, are you?

We do not have marriage
on k-pax.

There are no wives.
There are no husbands.

There are no families.

I see. So, um,

what about...
Societal structure?

Government.

No, there's no need for one.

you have no laws?

no laws. No lawyers.

How do you know
right from wrong?

Every being
in the universe knows
right from wrong, mark.

But what if--

If someone did do
something wrong--

Committed murder or rape--

How would you punish them?

Let me tell you
something, mark.

You humans, most of you,

subscribe to this policy
of "an eye for an eye...

A life for a life,"
which is known
throughout the universe...

For its stupidity.

Even your buddha
and your christ had
quite a different vision,

but nobody's
paid much attention

to them, not even the
buddhists or the christians.

[ Sighs ]
You humans,

sometimes it's hard to imagine
how you've made it this far.

[ Swing Creaking ]

[ Dr. Powell ]
Josh, be careful.

[ Rachel ]
Okay, kids. Let's go.
The hot dogs are ready.

[ Playful Chattering ]

Hey. Where were you
just now?

Come on.

Okay.

Hey, kids, come on.
Wash up.

Okay!

Josh. Now come on,
quit teasing the dog.

Josh, let's go.

Settle down now.

here we are.

oh, park that right here.

-Boy, that looks terrific.
-That looks great.

Steve, how was, uh,
how was your trip
up from princeton?

Not too bad.

We even stopped
by to see michael.

Oh, that was
nice of you, sis.

Quite a detour
for you guys.

Well, it was his birthday.

I know it was his birthday.

I sent him a card
and a nice, uh,

a nice, big check
as usual.

It wouldn't kill you
to pick up the phone
every once in a while...

And talk to your own son.

Thank you, abby.
You wanna pass
the potato salad, please?

There you go.

By the way, I put him
through dartmouth. He knows
how to pick up a phone too.

I'm thinking of
inviting him for christmas.

Oh, great.

He spends christmas
with his mother.

He won't come here.

How do you know? When was
the last time you asked him?

Am I on the couch here,
or what?

You want a beer?

Please and thank you.

You want some more?

Can I have corn, darling?

Steve, I, uh,

I have a rather unusual
favor to ask you.

What can I do you for, Dr.
"p"?

Well, I have a patient.

Sit down. I have
this patient, who, uh,

seems to know quite
a bit about your field.

A patient
who's an astronomer?

So, tell me about
this patient of yours.

Well, he, uh, he claims
to come from
a planet he calls k-pax.

What kind of name is that?

K-pax?

He says it's a thousand
light-years away,
near the constellation lyra.

Uh-huh. Big head?
Green? About this high?

Yeah, I think
I know the guy.

No, he's, uh,
he's very convincing.

[ Laughs ]
I mean, of course,
he's, uh, he's human.

It's just that he's, um,

well, he's-he's the most
convincing delusional
I've ever come across.

If I can prove to him
that this k-pax is just
a figment of his imagination,

then maybe I can find out
who he really is.

Well, sure.
I can give you...

A whole list of
questions to ask your fella.

Wonderful.

[ Betty ]
All his books and
papers and everything...

Are spread all over the desk
like always,
but he's just sitting there.

Someone change
his medication?

I gave him his usual,
anafronil, 250 milligrams.

[ Dr. Powell ]
Hmm. Well,
something's wrong with him.

An obsessive-compulsive
doesn't just sit there
looking out the window.

Howie?

Good morning,
Dr. Powell.

Good morning.
But are you
looking for something?

Bluebird.

The bluebird?

The bluebird of happiness.

Prot told me to find
the bluebird of happiness.

Prot told you.

It's a task.

The first of three.

I don't know what
the other two are yet.

He'll tell me.

If I complete all three,

I'll be cured.

[ Prot ] there.
Maintain your breathing.

That's it.
Now you see?

There are none of
these ammonia particles
that you're so worried about.

In the first place,
I would be able to see them.

Good morning, sal.

-And I don't.
-[ Sal ] Good morning, Dr.
Stinky.

RINGED MONKEY, 7:00.

Take a bath.
Take a bath.

Ernie, could you excuse
us for a moment, please?

Mm-hmm.

Good to, uh,
see you outside, ernie.

Thank you.

Oh, ernie, you stink.

Prot, it's one thing
to take an interest in
your fellow patients.

It's quite another
to make them think
that you can cure them.

You seem overly upset,
mark.

To borrow
a phrase from navarro,
you need to chill.

For your information,
all beings have the capacity
to cure themselves, mark.

This is something
we've known on k-pax
for millions of years.

Listen to me.
On this planet, I'm a doctor,
you're a patient.

Doctor. Patient.
Curious human distinction.

It's not your job
to cure howie.

Or ernie or maria
or anyone else. It's mine.

Then why haven't
you cured them yet?

Oh, by the way,
here are the answers to
the questions you asked me.

I hope they meet
your satisfaction.

[ Russell ]
I don't know
what to say, mark.

I mean, this is--
This is pretty wild stuff.

Gibberish, huh?

Well, not exactly.

I mean, see,

your patient indicates
his planet, k-pax,

orbiting an eclipsing
binary star
system-- Agape and satori.

Yeah.

Near the constellation lyra.

He could have
looked that up, right?

That's the funny thing, mark.
Not really.

I mean, except for my boss,
duncan flynn,

one of the foremost
astrophysicists
in the world...

And maybe two or three
of his colleagues,

nobody knows much about
the possibility of planets
in this star system yet.

It hasn't even been reported
in any journals.

Tell me, honestly,

did duncan put you
up to this?

You know--
You know, like a joke?

[ Chuckles ]
No. It's no joke, steve.

Uh, tell me,

do you know of any missing
astrophysicists?

[ Laughs ] Can't say I do.

[ Chuckles ]

But there's one or two
around here who'd sure like
to meet this fella of yours.

Thanks a lot, steve.
I sure appreciate it.

♪ [ Rachel ]
b, a, d, c, b, c, d ♪

[ Prot On Tape ]
But unlike you humans,
the reproductive process...

-Is an unpleasant one for us.
-[ Rachel ] Start again.

♪ [ Piano Continues ]

♪ [ Dr. Powell's Voice ]
What way is it unpleasant? ♪

[ Prot On Tape ]
It's a pain--

[ Tape Recorder Off ]

♪ [ Piano Continues,
"Mary Had A Little Lamb" ] ♪

[ Rachel ] Good. Not too fast.

Okay.

♪ [ Piano Continues ] ♪

[ Sighs ]

♪ [ Continues ] ♪

So, this is
your neighborhood, huh?

[ Chattering ]

Hello, gentlemen.
Sure appreciate
you meeting with us.

Thank you, Dr. Powell.
We'd like to get to the bottom
of this just as much as you.

Thank you, Doctor.
Great.
Let me introduce you to prot.

It's a pleasure
to meet you, prot.
I'm Dr. Becker.

This is Dr. Flynn.

Drs. Patel and hessler.

Doctor. Doctor.
Doctor. Doctor.

How many doctors
are there on this planet?

[ Laughs ]

Here, prot.
Have a seat.

"Have a seat."

Oh, shit!

Feel at home?

We found your notes
quite interesting, prot,

and we'd like to ask you
some questions,
if that's all right.

Be my guest.

Good. Then I'll jump right in.

Make sure you can swim.

[ Chuckles ]

Yes, well,

let's start with this idea
of light travel, shall we?

What can you tell us
about that?

Absolutely nothing.

If I told you,
you'd blow yourselves up.

Or worse,
someone else.

You'd be surprised
how much energy is
in a beam of light.

Hmm. Well, then,

maybe you could show us
how this light travel works.

You mean a demonstration.

That would be... Fine.

Adios. Aloha.

Well, when are you gonna--

I'm already back.

[ Laughs ]

See, where I come from, prot,
that's called "the fastest
gun in the west" routine.

Well, I don't come from
where you come from, Dr.
Becker.

Prot, you've indicated in your
notes that your
planet k-pax...

Orbits around the twin stars
of agape and satori,
near the constellation lyra.

Well, frankly,
we're a bit mystified...

As to how you gained knowledge
there's such a planetary
system around these stars.

Professor, where I come from,
that's common knowledge.

[ Click ]

This was taken
from the hubble.

We've computer enhanced it,
based on Dr.
Patel's readings...

From telescopes
in chile and Hawaii.

It's the clearest picture
we have of
where you come from.

[ Chuckles ]

What we'd like is if you could
diagram on the light pad...

The orbital pattern
that your planet
takes through this system.

Mm-hmm.

My pleasure.

I think that's right.

Steven,
could you input that?

Already on it.

Wh-what's going on?

[ Beep ]

I take it my calculations
help explain the

"protabations" you've been
seeing...

In the rotation pattern
of your binary star,

but have been
unable to explain until...
This moment.

How--

How could you know this?

How could you--

Every k-paxian knows this.

Just as every child
on earth knows...

That your planet
revolves around your sun.

It's common knowledge.
Isn't it?

What, um,
what happened in there?

I mean, you--

He could be a savant.

There-there are savants
who have painted
flawless copies of rembrandt,

who couldn't--
Who couldn't
remember their own names.

You don't
believe him, steve.

I don't know
what I believe,
mark, but I know what I saw.

[ TV, Indistinct ]

[ Sal ]
I moved.
I moved. It's your move.

[ Ernie ]
One and two. Your move.

[ Sal And Ernie,
Indistinct ]

Bluebird.

Bluebird.

You just wait till next game.

Bluebird.

Bluebird! Bluebird!

Bluebird! Bluebird!
Bluebird!

Howie!

Bluebird! Bluebird!

Bluebird! Bluebird!
Bluebird!

Howie.

Bluebird. Bluebird. Bluebird.

Okay. Okay.

Bluebird!

[ Betty ]
Where's the bluebird?

Look, bluebird!
Bluebird! Bluebird!

Oh, my god.

Bluebird! Bluebird!

Howie! Howie, get back here!

Bluebird! Bluebird!
Bluebird!

Do bluebirds bite, sal?

Nah, they don't bite,
stinkhead.

[ Clamoring ]

[ Man ]
Hey, bess, it's a bluebird.

[ Yelling, Clamoring ]

shit!

disturbance on two.

it's the bluebird!

bluebird! Bluebird!

[ All Chanting ]
Bluebird! Bluebird!

[ Chanting ]
Bluebird! Bluebird!

It's mass hysteria.

Betty!
Betty, what
the hell is going on here?

come here! Come here!

Dr. Powell, come and see!

[ Man ]
You see it? Do you see it?

Look it! Look it!
Look it!

What's going on here,
Dr. Powell?
What on earth is out there?

just a blue jay.

a blue jay?

[ Laughing ]

A blue jay.

[ Man ]
Off the chair. Everybody,
get off the chairs.

[ Sal ]
Mrs. Archer...
Come out of her room.

Bluebird?

[ Mrs. Archer ]
It's a bluebird?

[ Man ]
Come on over here.

[ Man, Indistinct ]

[ Tapping ]

I know who you are.

You're the bluebird.

Good night, bess.

And how are we today?

Oh, just fine.

That's good, maria.

My man.

Psst.

Excuse me.

Mm-hmm.

About that
light travel thing.

I was wondering if maybe
you could show
me how to do that.

I put up with
the stink in this
place for ten years.

I wanna get out,
if you know what I mean.

I used the be the doorman
at the plaza.

F-fifteen years.

That's when I started
to notice it.

Notice what?

The smell.

They all stank.

I-I tried to tell 'em,
but, uh,

they put me here.

And, um, and-and--

And this-this place
smells worse than all.

Except for you.
Y-you don't smell,

so I figured maybe
you could help me.

You should smell
the york
blossoms on my planet...

In a gentle breeze.

Pretty much
like your sugarplums.

I would-- I would
like to smell that.

I would like to go there,
to-to your, um,

planet.

I'm afraid I can only take
one person back
with me when I go.

Uh, I had my weekly session
with sal today.

He says you're
taking him to k-pax.

In fact, I've heard
from most of
the patients on ward two,

they all tell me
that they're going to k-pax.

I wonder if
that's a wise thing

to be promising patients
in a psychiatric facility.

No, no, no, mark.
I made it clear to each
and every one of them,

I can only take one person
back with me when I return.

Return?

Mark, don't get me wrong.

I mean, you've been
very hospitable.

Hospital.
Hospitable.

But my time here is almost up,
and I can't wait to get back.

Back?

To k-pax?

Yes, of course. Where else?

You're planning
to return to k-pax.

You're repeating yourself
again, mark. Yes, I have
one trip to take up north,

and then I am planning
on returning to k-pax.

Joyce gave me
these strawberries

this morning from
her garden in hoboken.

They're delicious.

You'll have to
forgive me, but, um,

but this is
a bit confusing.

when are you planning on--

I'm departing on july 27.

Why? Why, uh,
why july 27?

Safety reasons.

You see, I can go anywhere
on earth without fear of
bumping into someone...

Traveling at
super light speed,

but beings are coming and
going all the time from k-pax.

It has to be coordinated.

You're telling me...

You're beaming back
to k-pax on july 27.

AT 5:51 a.m.,
eastern time.

Hey, hey, hey, honey.

Mark,
you were just dreaming.

You were just dreaming.

[ Sighs ]

-Daddy?
-Mark.

Mark, what's going on?
Daddy's okay.

-Go back to bed, honey.
-Where is daddy going?

Daddy's all right.
He has a tummyache.
He's all right.

-Daddy!
-Get in bed!

[ Dr. Powell On Tape ]
And when did you
arrive on earth?

-[ Prot ] Four years and
-What's going on?

Shh! Listen.

[ Tape Rewinding ]

And when did you arrive
on earth?

[ Prot ]
Four years and
nine months ago.

Your years.

[ Recorder Off ]

Four years, nine months
and three days ago.

That'll be five years
to the date on july 27.
That's when he's leaving.

What?

To go back to k-pax.

Mark, what is the matter
with you?

-Rachel--
-MARK,
IT IS 2:00 in the morning.

What is-- What is
this patient doing to you?

He's telling me
that five years
ago on july 27...

Something terrible
happened to him.

Some horrible trauma.
I gotta get to him
before that date.

mom, what's happening?

unbelievable.

Nothing. Come on.
Come on.
Let's all go back to bed.

[ Girl ]
Ah, I've got it!

[ Woman ]
Come on. Let's eat.

is the spaceman here yet?

shh. Don't call him that.

[ Kids Chanting ] Spaceman.
Spaceman.

No, no. No, no.

Whoo!

Everybody, come here.

Listen, everybody, look.
He's going to be
here any minute.

I want you guys to just
calm down.
Be yourselves. Act natural.

[ Kids ]
Okay. Spaceman.

[ Groans ]

Why, is he going to zap
us with his laser gun?

I mean it. I do.
Here.

Oh, mom.

I can't believe
I agreed to this.

I tried everything else.
Rachel, look.

I want him to spend
fourth of july with us...

To see if a normal family
environment might
bring something out of him.

Since when did we become
a normal family?

Please. Look. They're here.

[ Car Horn Honks ]

I just feel uncomfortable.

Well, don't.

Joyce's son, he's on
the high school
wrestling team,

and betty's husband's
an ex-cop.

Hey!

Hi.

Hey, joyce.

Hey, buddy.

Glad you could make it.

Wow.

This is my husband, dominic.

He looks like data.

That's right, embarrass him.

Welcome, prot.

This is my wife rachel.

[ Car Door Closes ]

How do you do?

Rachel.

Thank you so much
for inviting me today.

Thanks for coming.

[ Dog Barking ]

watch out. Watch out.

no.

[ Josh ] shasta, no.
Shasta, no. Shasta!

Come here, good dog.
I know. I know.

[ Barking ]

Damn dog's never liked anyone.

Shh.

[ Barking ]

Oh. Okay. kids.

[ Rachel ] Girls. Girls.

Come here.

[ Barking ]

[ Prot Barking ]

[ Both Barking ]

Okay.

She says she doesn't
like it when you hide
her favorite tennis shoe.

And she doesn't hear so
well in her left side, so--

[ Barks ]

So don't sneak up
on her anymore.

No way.

[ Playful Growling ]

[ Barking ]

Let's get some lunch, okay?
Let's have lunch.

Let's go eat.

[ Barking ]

-[ Children Chattering,
Laughing ]
-It's good, rachel.

Okay, you guys, come on.

[ Screams ]

Careful, careful, gabby.

All right. Come on.

Somebody else want some?

There we go.

So, prot, mark tells me
you don't eat meat.

That's very healthy.

[ Dr.
Powell ] Speak for yourself.

-Burger.
-Burger.

[ Rachel ]
You got it?

Yes,
I want burgers, thank you.

It's good.

[ Betty ]
Everything looks so good. Pass
me one of those hamburgers.

Come on.

[ Muffled Laughter ]

[ Adults Laughing ]

[ Chattering,
Children Playing ]

Give me a push.

[ Chattering,
Children Playing Continues ]

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

There's a photograph
on the piano of a young
man with all the others.

That's michael.

That's mark's son
from his first marriage.

How many marriages
has he had?

Just the two...
[ Chuckles ] So far.

-"So far"?
-No, I mean,

he's not out to set
a world record or anything.

But the young man
in the photograph,
he's not here today.

No, um,
he doesn't live with us.

You know,
he's away at college and--

And the truth is,
he and mark don't
talk to each other.

I don't know why
I'm telling you this.
[ Chuckles ]

Probably because
I'm a locked-up lunatic,
so what harm could it do.

[ Chuckles ]
Maybe.

Maybe that's it.

Dr. Powell's been trying
to teach me the importance...

You beings place on your
biological connections.

Hmm.

You think he means it?

You don't?

Do you know
what a family is?

You worry.

They don't
tell you that, you know.
[ Sighs ]

You don't have a family.

No.

We don't have families
on k-pax.

Well, you don't know
what you're missing.
[ Chuckles ]

[ Chuckles ]

I'll get you
some more lemonade.

♪ hula, hula

♪ all right. Incoming. ♪

That's beautiful.

Thank you.

Fourth of july.

Thank you for inviting me
here today, mark.

You're most welcome, prot.

Come push me on the swing!

[ Chuckles ]

I'll show you a trick.

This is called...

Go to the table
and have a beer.

[ Chuckles ]

Okay.

But first you have to
hold on very tight.

Okay.

Ready?

[ Laughing ]

[ Natalie ]
This is fun!

[ Laughing Continues ]

[ Squeals ]

Come on, let's go!
Come on! Come on!

Watch out.
Watch out.

[ Children Shouting,
Laughing ]

[ Shouting, Laughing
Continues ]

Let's go in the water!

-No, don't.
-Come on!

No, don't go. Don't go.

Let's go!

Hey! Let go!

Don't go in the water!
Don't! No, don't!

-Mom! No!
-No, you stay! No!

-Natalie? Natalie!
-[ Natalie Screaming ]

mark! Mark!

[ Prot Shouting ]

[ Shouting Continues ]

prot!

Hey, this guy's
as strong as an ox!

Betty, quick!

[ Prot Continues Shouting ]

turn off the goddamn water!

Stay there, josh.
I'll turn it off!

I got it.

[ Dr. Powell ]
It's okay.

[ Shouting Stops ]

Prot?

It's okay. It's okay.
No, no, no, it's okay, betty.
Where are his glasses?

I got it.

Are you all right?

[ Panting ]

Prot?

You're okay.

[ Sniffing ]

Is that apple pie I smell?

Sweetheart, you all right?

Yeah.

He was pushing my daughter
on a swing, like he had
done a hundred times before.

Not like he was
some alien from k-pax.

I saw him.
He was
connecting with something.

Some kind of normal life.

That's not enough.

He's a violent patient,
mark.

He's not violent.

Something violent
happened to him.
Something in his past.

When he was
going after natalie,

he wasn't trying to harm her,
he was trying to protect her.

From the sprinklers?

I'm not sure from what.

I need more than a hunch
to go on, otherwise I
have to send him upstairs.

We need to regress him--
Take him back into the past,

find out what happened
and have him confront it.

Regress him? Do you have any
idea how risky it is to

regress a patient like this
one?

It's his only chance.

Claudia,
we have to push him.
There's no time.

He told me
that he's going back
to k-pax on july 27.

That's in three weeks.

I think that he could
become violent on that day.
Hurt himself, somebody else.

You know what
the problem is, mark.

You're too close
to this patient.

Everybody else
can see it but you.

I am transferring him
to the fourth floor,
and that's final.

I know I'm too close to him.
All right, fine. I admit it.

Why choose this one
to save, mark?

I don't know. Maybe--
Maybe because I feel...

He chose me.

Has anyone seen prot?

He went up north
for a few days.

"North"?

[ Howie ] Greenland.

Iceland.

You know.

He had a few countries
left to visit before he
could finish his report.

Don't worry, Dr. Powell.
He'll be back.

How do you know, ernie?

Because he took his glasses
with him, darling.

When he returns to k-pax,
he won't need them.

[ Sighs ]

Patients do not escape
from this institution.
They don't escape.

There has been
no evidence of escape,

but obviously,
I've notified the police,
social services.

I'm gonna have a great time
explaining this
to the state board.

I got psychotics
on the fourth floor
packing up their sneakers...

Because they all think
they're going off to k-pax.

Claudia--

Find him.

[ Dr. Powell ]
Well,
what about city shelters?

Have you--
Have you checked?

No.

No, I'm not telling you
how to do your job.

Uh-- Thank--
Thank you.

[ Sighs ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Mutters ]

Dr. Powell,
I presume.

Where the hell
have you been?

Newfoundland,
greenland,
iceland, uh, labrador--

All right, cut the crap.
We've been looking
for you for three days.

I believe I mentioned
my taking a trip up north,
mark, in this very garden.

"Taking a trip"?
You're a patient here.

You don't leave here without
a discharge. And don't give
me this beam-of-light shit,

because I don't buy it.

What would you say
if I were to tell you...

That I don't believe
you took any trip at all...

To iceland or greenland
or anywhere?

That I don't believe
you're from k-pax?

I believe you're
as human as I am.

I would say you're in need
of a thorazine drip, Doctor.

Well, there--
There is one way...

You could convince me
beyond any doubt.

Of course,
I would need your consent.

It's called hypnosis.

I just don't see the point.

Let me tell you what
your alternative is.

A trip to a place
where they'll stick a needle
in your ass every morning,

which may or may not leave you
with a stupid
grin on your face...

For the rest of your days
here on earth.

Is that what you'd like?

Prot?

I want to help you.

What we're going
to be doing, prot,
is a bit like daydreaming.

I'm gonna count
from one to five.

On the count of three,
your eyes will close,

and you will find yourself
in a very nice, deep,

comfortable, relaxed
state of hypnosis.

One. Your eyes are starting
to get very heavy now.

Two. I want you
to use your imagination...

And imagine small lead weights
on your eyelids...

That are just making them
so... Heavy.

-[ Dr. Chakraborty ]
Pulse rate is 40 b.p.m.
-Three.

-Keep your eyes closed.
-I'd be concerned
if he were human.

Let yourself go way,
way down deep.

Four. Let a wave of relaxation
move through your body now...

As you go down
even deeper.

And five,

going way, way down deep.

You are in a relaxed
state of hypnosis now.

How do you feel?

[ Chuckles ]

Like...

Nothing.

I want you
to go back in time.

I want you to recall
the first experience
that you can remember.

What do you see?

[ Dr. Powell On Speaker ]
What was that?

What do you see?

Uh--

[ Child-Like Voice ]
I see...

Casket.

Silver...

With a blue lining.

Whose casket is it?

It's the father
of a friend of mine.

What's your friend's name?

I'm not telling.

Do you know how
your friend's father died?

He had an accident at
the place that he worked at.

He was killed
in an accident?

He-- He was hurt
and then died later?

Where did he work?

The place where
they kill cows.

Where is this place?

The pulse rate just
shot up ten b.p.m.s.

[ Beeping ]

Do you know--
Do you know
where this place is?

I-I want you to relax.

I want to move forward
in time now.

Where are you?

It's nighttime.

We're in his house.

At the other boy's house?

Yeah.

I want him
to come outside.

Why?

To look at the stars.

That's where I come from,
you know.

Is your name prot?

Wow.

How did you know that?

Where are you from, prot?

I'm from the planet k-pax.

It's in
the constellation lyra.

Do you know
all the constellations?

[ Chuckles ]
Yeah. Most of 'em.

And does your
friend know them too?

Yes, he does.

When his dad got sick
and had to stay home,
they got a telescope,

and his dad taught him about
all the constellations.

But he's not interested
in those right now.

Why not?

Something happened.

That's why he called me.

He calls me when
something bad happens.

Like when his father died?

That's right.

How do you know to come?
How does the boy call you?

I don't know. I just come.
I just-- I just know.

How do you get to earth?

I wanna go outside.
Can I go outside?

Uh, read-- Read
his body language, mark.

I-I don't think he wants
to talk anymore today.

All right. Prot?

I want you to just relax now.

[ Shuddering ]

Think about the stars.

[ Whimpers ]

That's right.
I'm gonna count backwards
now from five to one,

and you'll find yourself
wide-awake and refreshed.

Five. You're starting
to come out of it now.

Four.
You're feeling more alert.

Three.
Even more alert.

Two.
You're becoming awake now.

And one.

So when do we begin?

It's already over.

Oh, the old "fastest gun
in the west" routine, huh?

[ Slaps Knee ]

Let's find the locations of
all the slaughterhouses

operating in the
united states.

I mean, how many
can there be?

I don't know.

We eliminate, uh, the ones
in or near big cities...

And we concentrate
on small towns, rural areas,

you know, places where
you can see the stars.

Joyce, we only have
six days.

[ Chattering ]

Shall I bring the crystal
or leave it here?

I suppose I won't
really need it on k-pax.

I don't even know
what they drink. [ Laughing ]

Dream on, sister.
He can only take
one of us with him.

Why the hell would he take
a stinker like you?
He's taking me.

How dare you!
I do not stink.

Nah, forget it, ho.
I'm the one goin'.

Yeah?
Which one of you?

Okay.
Who would like to begin?

Ernie.

Uh, I-I was-- I was wondering
if it was possible...

For us to have cream of
wheat instead of oatmeal.

[ All Groaning ]

Not again.

Howie.

I have a suggestion,
because there's really,
really not much time.

I would like to propose
an essay contest...

To decide once and for all
who will go with prot.

I've spoken with him,
and he's agreed to
read them all by july 27.

So if anyone would
like to be considered,

please state your reasons
in a clear, legible hand...

And return them to me.

[ Excited Chattering ]

Russell.

[ Chattering Continues ]

Yes?

Would I get to take
my bible to k-pax?

Of course you would.

[ Betty ]
We can finish
the essays later.

[ Dr. Powell ]
Now, I want you to
go back in time again,

but not so far back
as last time.

[ Chuckles ]

Is your friend there?

Is he with you now?

[ Chuckling ]

Yeah.

What's his name?

I'm not tellin'.

Prot, I would like to know
your friend's name.

Well, I ain't
gonna tell ya.

Well, we have to
call him something.

-How about pete?
-[ Chuckling ]

Well, that's not his name,
but whatever thrills you.

What year is it?

It's 1985.

How old are you?

One hundred and seventy-five.

How old is pete?

Seventeen.

Tell me about pete.

What happened?

Is there a problem?

Is that why
he called you?

[ Sighs ]
He's got a girlfriend.

And the problem is
with the girlfriend?

She's pregnant.

He can see it all coming
right down the road.
You get married,

have a bunch of kids,
wind up in the same
job that killed your dad.

He blames her for this?

Oh, no, no, no.

He doesn't blame her.
No, he just--

He--
How did he put it?

He hates
the chains that people
shackle themselves with.

I mean, we don't have
all that crap on k-pax.

All right, prot.
I want you to
listen to me carefully.

I want to move forward
in time again.

Oh, say, two weeks.

You--

If you would like
to open your eyes or
move around, you may.

Would you like to?

I know that.

Prot?

Prot, when--

It's, uh,

1991,

according to
your earth calendar.

And your friend pete
called you?

Not for anything
in particular.

He just... Sometimes
wants to talk things over...

With someone
every now and then.

Tell me about pete now.

He's a knocker.

A "knocker"?

A knocker is the guy
that knocks the cow
inside of the head...

So it won't struggle
while they slit its throat.

I know.
It's barbaric, isn't it?

Does he still live
in the same town?

Oh, just outside of town.

He's got a little place,
but he's fixed it up nice.

It's got some... Trees
and a couple of acres...

And a river.

It reminds me of k-pax,
except for the river.

Tell me, did he ever marry
that pregnant girl?

Wow, what a memory.

Yeah, they got married,
but she's no longer pregnant.
Why, that was six years ago.

I've forgotten her name.

S--

I didn't tell you
her name.

Can you tell me now?

Sara.

Did they have
a son or a daughter?

Rebecca.

Rebecca.

It's her birthday
next week.

Chak, what's happened?

Howie tried to kill ernie.

What?

He's fine.

Ernie?

I feel wonderful, Dr. Powell.

For heaven's sake.
What happened?

Absolutely wonderful.

My good friend howie,
he just about
strangled me to death.

what?

[ Laughing ]

Son of a bitch,
I love him.

Ernie, I don't understand.

[ Ernie ]
You should've seen it.

I was asleep.
You know, the way I like--
My hands tied and everything.

He wrapped something
around my neck--
A handkerchief or something--

And then tightened it.

There wasn't a damn thing
I could do about it.

Well, when I
stopped breathing,

he lifted me onto the gurney,
rushed me up here,

and they brought me back
as quick as they could.

And when I woke up,

you know what I realized,
Dr. Powell?

Dying.

Dying's something
you have no control over.

Why waste your life
being afraid of it?

I'll sleep on my stomach
from now on.

I'll eat fish
with bones in it.

I'll swallow the biggest
pill you can find.
Bring it on.

[ Chuckles ]
I feel good.

[ Chuckling ]

That's terrific, ernie.

See you at our
session tomorrow?

Yes.

I cured him, didn't I?

Prot says one more task
and I'll be cured too.

And then it's...
Bon voyage.

[ Dings ]

[ Sighs ]

Tell me your name, damn it.

I'm gonna give you
a specific date,

and I want you to remember
where you were and what
you were doing on that day.

Do you understand?

Perfectly well,
my dear sir.

The date
is july 27, 1996.

I'm on k-pax.

are you sure?

quite sure, Governor.

I'm harvesting croppins
for a meal.

Croppins are a fungi,
like, uh, your truffles.

Big truffles.
Delicious. Do you like tru--

Wait a minute.

There it is.

What? Is it pete?

Yes.

I sense something is wrong.
He needs me.

I'm now on earth.

I'm with him.

And where are you?
What are you doing?

By a river...

In the back
of his house.

It's dark.

He's taking off
his clothes.

Why is he doing that?

He's--

What?

What is he doing?

He's trying
to kill himself.

Why does he want
to kill himself?

Because something terrible
has happened.

Has he done something?
Has he done
something he shouldn't have?

He doesn't want
to talk about it.

Prot, I'm trying to help him.
I can't help him unless
he tells me what happened.

He knows that.

Well,
then, why won't he tell me?

[ Sobs ]

Because then
you would know...

What even he
doesn't want to know.

Then you have to
help him, prot.

You have to help him
tell me what happened.

He doesn't want
to talk about it.
Are you fucking deaf?

Time is running out
for him.

Time is running out
for everyone.

He jumps in.

He's floating.

Pulse is up to 140.
Respiration's at 30.

For god's sake, man,
bring him back.

[ Panting ]

All right.
Listen to me.

Listen to me.

You can save him.
You're his friend.

I am his friend.
That's why I won't try.

-Save him!
-No.

[ Shuddering ]
I can't.

The cur--
The current is too strong.

There's no chance.

I... Cannot.

Listen to me.

You've helped
a lot of patients here.

You've helped Mrs. Archer.
You've helped howie and ernie.

I'm gonna ask you
to help cure pete now.

Let's call it a task.

- I want you
to let me speak to him.
- [ Beeping ]

If he's listening,
I want him to know
that he can trust me.

I want him to know that if
it was sara or rebecca
that he did something--

[ Screaming ]

-[ Sobbing ]
-[ Door Opens ]

Get in there.

No, no, no, wait!
Wait, wait, wait, wait!

No. No, stay back.

Oh, my god! Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!
Oh--

Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!

[ Sobbing Continues ]

It's okay.

It's all right.

Shh.

That's okay.

It's all right now.

I'm gonna count backwards now
from five to one,

and as I count,
you'll become
more and more alert.

On the count of one
I'll snap my fingers,

and you'll wake up
feeling refreshed.

Five. You're starting
to come out of it.

Four. You're becoming
more alert.

Three.
Even more alert.

Two. You're starting
to wake up now.

And one.

Are you okay?

Yes.

Feeling fine.

Okay.

[ Muttering ]

[ Muttering Continues ]

[ Muttering ]

[ Mutters ]

[ Unintelligible ]

Thank you.

Is this--
Is this area code 5-0-5?
Where are you?

[ Woman ] New mexico, sir.

New mexico?

"Salva."

Salvation.

Salvation!

[ Joyce ]
There are a dozen salvation
army shelters in New Mexico.

Albuquerque,
las cruces, roswell.

Wait a minute.
There's one in santa rosa.
Santa rosa. Santa rosa.

Santa rosa.

Guelph.

That's pretty damn close
to santa rosa.

What's the biggest
local newspaper
for that region?

Guadalupe county observer,
covering guadalupe county.

All right.
Bring that up.

Go to july 27, 1996.

"Swap meet, livestock sale."

Wait.
Go to the 28th.

Okay.

[ Gasps ]
There it is!

"Robert porter. Drowned!"

His name...

Is robert porter.

[ Bell Dings ]

[ Footsteps ]

Robert porter.
Ah, here it is.

Yeah, I do remember
this case.

It was about the biggest
thing ever happened
around these parts.

He was a quiet type.

As I recall, he was
a real smart fella.
Kind of brainy.

Strong as a horse, though,
and worked as a knocker.

Lived about 20 miles
outside of town with
his-his wife and child.

Sarah.

His wife's name
was sarah.

That's right.

Damn shame
what happened.

You got time
to take a ride?

Yeah.

Well,
it's been empty.

Yeah, nobody comes around
here much anymore...

Since all that happened.

Ain't no livin' next of kin
to give the place to anyway.

I had detectives come
down from albuquerque...

To try and piece
this one together.

Well, accordin' to
the official story,

porter, he was at work
when this, uh, this drifter,

darryl walker,
come by the house.

Two-time parolee
lookin' for trouble.
You know what I'm sayin'?

Started out
as a robbery.

The wife and the daughter
were out back.

Sarah?

[ Voice Echoes ]
Sarah?

From what we can gather
from forensics and all,

this walker, he, uh--
He forced the two
women into the house.

Raped the wife,

killed 'em both.

Porter, he must've come home
and found walker still here.

God.

Snapped a grown man's neck
like it was a twig.

[ Shouts ]

[ Grunts ]

♪ [ Woman Vocalizing ] ♪

Can't say I wouldn't have
done the same myself.

♪ [ Vocalizing Continues ] ♪

Uh, the river's
this way.

They found
the clothes there.

That's probably
where he jumped in.

And this river can be
pretty treacherous.

Even in july
it's got a hell of a current.

Still, I suppose it might
have been a mistake,
officially,

to declare it a drowning
when the body was never found.

Doc,

if that boy you got
back there in New York
is really robert porter,

I'd just as soon
not know about it.

Know what I mean?

Mark.

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.

Never do that again.

I won't.

What happened?

I found what
I was looking for.

You sure?

Yeah.

Wish I hadn't.

♪ and I think it's gonna be
a long, long time

♪ till touch down
brings me round again to find

♪ [ Tooting ]

♪ I'm not the man
they think I am at home

♪ oh, no, no, no

♪ I'm a rocket man

♪ [ Tooting ] ♪

If you wouldn't mind
putting mine on top.

♪ burnin' out his fuse
up here alone ♪

[ Tooting ]

♪ and I think it's gonna be
a long, long time ♪

prot.

Have a seat.

You all packed?
Ready to go?

Quite ready.
I travel light.

That's a joke, mark.

[ Chuckles ]

You humans.
There's just no
sense of humor.

I doubt, uh,
freud ever tried this,

but before
someone goes away,

we usually like
to send them off
with a little toast.

Scotch okay,
or would you prefer
something more fruity?

I will try
the scotch.

Well,

here's to a...

Safe journey.

Tell you the truth,

k-pax sounds like
a beautiful place.

I'd like to see it sometime.
Think there's
a chance of that?

I think you should see
more of your world.

As a matter of fact,
I think you should see
more of your own family.

Invite your son
for christmas.

I may just do that, prot.

You know what I've learned
about your planet?

There's enough life on earth
to fill 50 planets--

Plants, animals, people,
fungi, viruses--

All jostling
to find their place,

bouncing off each other,
feeding off each other,

connected.

You don't have that kind
of connection on k-pax?

Nobody wants,
nobody needs.

On k-pax, when I'm gone,
nobody misses me.

There would be
no reason to.

And yet I sense
that when I leave here,

I will be missed.

Yes.

Strange feeling.

You don't have
to leave, prot.

I'm sure there
must be some way
that I can help you...

To stay as one of us.

I will Miss you,
Dr. Powell.

Oh.

And I have to finish
my report, but...

I seem to have misplaced
my pencil.

Take mine.

A much more efficient
writing tool.

Adios, my friend.

Prot?

I wanna show you
something.

That is robert porter.

Prot, that's you.

You and robert porter
are the same person.

That's patently absurd.
I'm not even human.

Can't you at least
admit the possibility?

I will admit the possibility
that I am robert porter...

If you will admit
the possibility...

That I am from k-pax.

Now if you'll excuse me,

I have a beam of light
to catch.

Oh, mark.

Now that you've found robert,

please take good care of him.

♪ that nobody can deny

♪ that nobody can deny

♪ for he's a--

♪ I can't stand it. ♪

I-- I can't
stand this!

I demand to know...

Which one of us
is goin' with you.

Well, I can
tell you this.

There's extra points for
the one who goes
to sleep first.

[ Mumbling ]

[ Woman ]
Out of my way!

Oh, my gosh.

You never gave me
my last task.

What's my last task?

To stay here.

And be prepared...

For anything.

You look tired, doc.
Why don't you get
a few hours of rest?

He's not goin' anywhere.

Uh--

We got seven hours.
I'll see you in four, hmm?

Get some rest.

You're gonna eat.

You need some food
and you need to sleep.

Chow fun.

Oh, the place on broadway
with the ugly
lanterns in the window?

The mean waiter
always shouted at us.

Their fortune cookies never
had any fortunes in 'em.

We never needed any.

I knew my fortune
that night.

He was sitting
right in front of me.

Hope he still is.

Hey.

What's up, man?

Look, 20 says he goes.

You're on.

[ Thunder Rumbling ]

[ Thunder ]

[ Thunder ]

Shit!

Oh, damn it!

Two minutes.
You know where Dr. Powell is?

I'll buzz him.

One minute.

Here comes Dr. Powell!

He's moving.

REPEAT:
he's moving!

What the hell?

Wait for me, you--

[ Grunts ]

Son of a bitch.

Oh, god.

Oh, man.

Oh, god.

Call a code blue.

Help me. Let's get him.

[ Monitor Beeping ]

Who's that?

Beats me.
How'd he get in here?

That's not prot.

He's definitely not prot.

Certainly not.
Prot's gone.

Where's bess?

[ Man ]
Where's bess? Bess?

He chose bess.

Bitch!

[ Man ]
Good-bye, bess.

Good for you,
homegirl.

Bess went to k-pax.

[ Mark's Voice ]
Patient 287, robert porter.

How I wish I could say that
robert sat up one fine day...

And said, "I'm hungry.
Got any fruit?"

Like most catatonics,

he probably hears
every word we say...

But refuses
or is unable to respond.

Nevertheless,
I keep him up to date.

Let's see.
I told you about howie.

He got that job
at the public library.

And ernie, he's determined
to be a crisis counselor.

The only one we're, uh,
really
concerned about is bess.

You know, we've checked
halfway houses, shelters,

churches, bus stops.

Nothing.

Uh, we don't understand.
It's like...

People don't just disappear.

July 27.

You wouldn't happen to know
anything about that,
would you?

Robert?

No.

Well, maybe
it'll come to you.

Whenever you're ready,
I'll be waiting.

[ Prot's Voice ]
I want to tell
you something, mark,

something you
do not yet know,

but we k-paxians have been
around long enough
to have discovered.

The universe will expand,

then it will collapse
back on itself,

and then it will
expand again.

It will repeat
this process forever.

What you don't know is that
when
the universe expands again,

everything will be
as it is now.

Whatever mistakes you make
this time around, you will
live through on your next pass

Every mistake you make...

You will live through...

Again and again, forever.

So my advice to you is to
get it right this time around,

because this time...

Is all you have.

You're lookin' great, michael.

Think so?

Thanks.
How you doin'?

Good. How was your--
How was your trip?

Was it--
Was it good?

♪ maybe this is forever

♪ forever fades away

♪ like a rocket ascending

♪ into space

♪ could you not be sad

♪ could you not break down

♪ after all

♪ I won't let go

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ there's beauty in release

♪ there's no one left
to please

♪ but you and me

♪ I don't blame you
for quitting

♪ I know you really tried

♪ only you could hang on

♪ through the night

♪ 'cause I don't
wanna be lonely

♪ I don't wanna be scared

♪ and all our friends

♪ are waiting there

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ there's beauty in release

♪ there's no one left
to please

♪ but you and me

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I could
have held on

♪ feel like I could
have let go

♪ feel like I could
have helped you

♪ feel like I could
have changed you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I could
have held you

♪ feel like I could
have let you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I was a stranger

♪ feel like I was an angel

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I was a hero

♪ feel like I was a zero

♪ safe and sound

♪ feel like I could
have killed you

♪ feel like I could
have healed you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I could
have touched you

♪ feel like I could
have saved you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I should
have known you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I could
have changed you

♪ feel like I could
have moved you

♪ until you're safe and sound

♪ feel like I should
have told you

♪ feel like I could
have known you

♪ feel like I could
have loved you

♪ feel like I could
attract you

♪ feel like I could
have saved you

♪ feel like I really
loved you

♪ feel like
I really loved you ♪