Meet Joe Black (1998)

Death, who takes the form of a young man (Brad Pitt), asks a media mogul (Sir Anthony Hopkins) to act as a guide to teach him about life on Earth, and in the process, he falls in love with his guide's daughter (Claire Forlani).

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Ron Osborn (screenplay), Jeff Reno (screenplay)

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Joe Black / Young Man in Coffee Shop
Anthony Hopkins	...	William Parrish
Claire Forlani	...	Susan Parrish
Jake Weber	...	Drew
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Allison
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Quince
David S. Howard	...	Eddie Sloane
Lois Kelly-Miller	...	Jamaican Woman
Jahnni St. John	...	Jamaican Woman's Daughter
Richard Clarke	...	Butler
Marylouise Burke	...	Lillian
Diane Kagan	...	Jennifer
June Squibb	...	Helen
Gene Canfield	...	Construction Foreman
Suzanne Hevner	...	Florist

Storyline

William Parrish (Sir Anthony Hopkins), media tycoon, loving father, and still a human being, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. One morning, he is contacted by the inevitable, by hallucination, as he thinks. Later, Death enters his home and his life, personified in a man's body: Joe Black (Brad Pitt) has arrived. His intention was to take William with him, but accidentally, Joe's former host and William's beautiful daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on Earth, as well as in Susan, who has no clue with whom she's flirting.

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Plot Keywords:

death | birthday | wealth | death personified | fear of death | 

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Taglines:

Meet Joe Black: Sooner or Later Everyone Does

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English Dutch

Release Date:

13 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Meet Joe Black

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,017,995, 15 November 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$44,619,100

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$142,940,100

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min 129 min (edited TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Death (Brad Pitt) is standing behind the glass in William's (Sir Anthony Hopkins') library upon their first meeting, the body is obscured. However, when Death stands closer to the window, the outline in the window forms a skull. This is the first indication of who the mysterious person is.

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Goofs

Just before clinking glasses with Joe Black, William Parrish holds his wine glass by the bowl when seen from the front, but by the stem when shot from behind.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Construction Foreman: Please. Please. Don't worry. Don't worry.
Allison: It's utter chaos around here. And I'm terrified we're running out of time. Am I trying to be too perfect?

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Alternate Versions

TV version shortens the scene when Joe is hit by the cars.

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Connections

Version of Broadway Television Theatre: Death Takes a Holiday (1953)

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Soundtracks

Where Or When
Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

User Reviews

One of the best films of 1998, I can't praise this film enough!

I must admit to have been slightly hesistant when I first heard about Meet Joe Black because of the subject matter and its length, however I found this film to be superb.

The acting was believable, the cinematography of the film was well thought out and extremely picturesque. The soundtrack by Thomas Newman (the Shawshank Redemption) went from chilling to the most beautiful melodies that I have ever heard (giving, in my humble opinion, any classical composer a run for their money), adding an extra depth to this film.

There are no in-betweens in this film: you WILL either love or hate this film. However, I can say that this film is one of the most uplifting and life affirming movies that I have ever seen. It left me both moved and confident that the world was not such a bad place after all. Just like the Shawshank Redemption told us that hope is not a bad thing, so Meet Joe Black tells us that indeed love can conquer all better than Titanic ever could.