7.2/10
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799 user 101 critic

Meet Joe Black (1998)

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.

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Ron Osborn (screenplay), Jeff Reno (screenplay) | 6 more credits »
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Popularity
982 ( 3)
3 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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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 David S. Howard ... Eddie Sloane
Lois Kelly-Miller Lois Kelly-Miller ... Jamaican Woman
Jahnni St. John Jahnni St. John ... Jamaican Woman's Daughter
Richard Clarke Richard Clarke ... Butler
Marylouise Burke ... Lillian
Diane Kagan Diane Kagan ... Jennifer
June Squibb ... Helen
Gene Canfield ... Construction Foreman
Suzanne Hevner Suzanne Hevner ... Florist
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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. Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Meet Joe Black: Sooner or Later Everyone Does See more »

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When "The Guy at the Coffee Shop" first appears, he is obscured in the translucent phone booth talking on the phone. The first time "Death" is seen is in "the Guy's" body, also obscured behind glass in William's library, making a direct connection between the two. See more »

Goofs

The amount of ice in Bill's scotch glass varies from shot to shot when the family is having drinks. See more »

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?
See more »

Alternate Versions

The airline version, shortened by about 50 minutes, was disowned by director Martin Brest and is credited to Alan Smithee. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Bandits (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

Can't Help Loving That Man
Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
See more »

User Reviews

In short, an excellent and not too long film
13 October 2004 | by lmoore520See all my reviews

Whenever this film is aired, I'm drawn to watch it. The pace, like life, is slow. Some people find this to be a problem. I feel sorry for those people; maybe they've been so saturated by "fast food" films and reality TV that they think that's the way life is supposed to be. Unlike life, the film has no "wasted space". So, while it may seem too long for theatre viewing, it's plenty short for sitting back in an easy chair for three hours and just letting it draw you in--with the excellent dialogue (including the Patois), excellent performances by truly talented actors, and above all the [again] excellent score by Mr. Newman. If you're a romantic not just about love, but also about life, then treat yourself and watch it.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Dutch

Release Date:

13 November 1998 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Rencontre avec Joe Black See more »

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,017,995, 15 November 1998

Gross USA:

$44,619,100

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$142,940,100
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (edited TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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