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Meet Joe Black

  • 19981998
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
234K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
947
200
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
Death, who takes the form of a young man, asks a media mogul 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.Death, who takes the form of a young man, asks a media mogul 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.Death, who takes the form of a young man, asks a media mogul 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.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
234K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
947
200
  • Director
    • Martin Brest
  • Writers
    • Ron Osborn(screenplay)
    • Jeff Reno(screenplay)
    • Kevin Wade(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Brad Pitt
    • Anthony Hopkins
    • Claire Forlani
Top credits
  • Director
    • Martin Brest
  • Writers
    • Ron Osborn(screenplay)
    • Jeff Reno(screenplay)
    • Kevin Wade(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Brad Pitt
    • Anthony Hopkins
    • Claire Forlani
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 876User reviews
    • 93Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos1

    What Roles Did Brad Pitt Miss Out On?
    Video 3:40
    What Roles Did Brad Pitt Miss Out On?

    Photos126

    Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jake Weber in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)
    Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Joe Blackas Joe Black…
    Anthony Hopkins
    Anthony Hopkins
    • William Parrishas William Parrish
    Claire Forlani
    Claire Forlani
    • Susan Parrishas Susan Parrish
    Jake Weber
    Jake Weber
    • Drewas Drew
    Marcia Gay Harden
    Marcia Gay Harden
    • Allisonas Allison
    Jeffrey Tambor
    Jeffrey Tambor
    • Quinceas Quince
    David S. Howard
    • Eddie Sloaneas Eddie Sloane
    Lois Kelly-Miller
    • Jamaican Womanas Jamaican Woman
    Jahnni St. John
    • Jamaican Woman's Daughteras Jamaican Woman's Daughter
    Richard Clarke
    • Butleras Butler
    Marylouise Burke
    Marylouise Burke
    • Lillianas Lillian
    Diane Kagan
    • Jenniferas Jennifer
    June Squibb
    June Squibb
    • Helenas Helen
    Gene Canfield
    Gene Canfield
    • Construction Foremanas Construction Foreman
    Suzanne Hevner
    • Floristas Florist
    Steve Coats
    • Electricianas Electrician
    Madeline Balmaceda
    • Madelineas Madeline
    • (as Madeline N. Balmaceda)
    Julie Lund
    • Drew's Secretaryas Drew's Secretary
    • Director
      • Martin Brest
    • Writers
      • Ron Osborn(screenplay)
      • Jeff Reno(screenplay)
      • Kevin Wade(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>
    • death
    • birthday
    • wealth
    • death personified
    • fear of death
    • 75 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • He's Expecting You.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Romance
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A truncated two-hour version has been shown on television and airlines, achieved by chopping out most of William Parrish's (Sir Anthony Hopkins') business. Producer and director Martin Brest has disowned this edit, so the director's credit is for "Alan Smithee" (the usual nickname used for directors when they disregard from a work).
    • Goofs
      When Susan is kissing Joe goodbye after having made love, her medical bag is on the floor. Even though she doesn't bend down to pick it up before she walks away, she has it in her hand as she exits.
    • Quotes

      William Parrish: Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I'm not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.

    • Alternate versions
      TV version shortens the scene when Joe is hit by the cars.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Siege/Elizabeth/Gods and Monsters/The Waterboy/The Wizard of Oz (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails
      Written by Irving Berlin

    User reviews876

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    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.
    helpful•162
    47
    • Pork_Scratchings
    • Jan 9, 2000

    FAQ2

    • Who's the voice of the death?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 13, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Dutch
    • Also known as
      • Знайомтеся - Джо Блек
    • Filming locations
      • Aldrich Mansion - 836 Warwick Neck Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • City Light Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $90,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $44,619,100
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,017,995
      • Nov 15, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $142,940,100
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Five Scenes from Meet Joe Black That Tugged on Our Heartstrings
    Five Scenes from Meet Joe Black That Tugged on Our Heartstrings
    Apr 14TVovermind.com
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    ABC Releases Key Art for 94th Oscars Featuring Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes (TV News Roundup)
    Mar 12Variety Film + TV

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