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Meet Joe Black (1998)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
13 November 1998 (USA)
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Tagline:
He's Expecting You. more
Plot:
A media mogul acts as a guide to Death, who takes the form of a young man to learn about life on Earth and in the process, fall in love with his guide's daughter. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 wins
&
5 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(42 articles)
Brad Pitt may explore the Bermuda Triangle with 'Dark Void'
(From Hitfix. 19 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
Surrogates
(From Scorecard Review. 25 September 2009, 5:41 AM, PDT)
(From Hitfix. 19 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
Surrogates
(From Scorecard Review. 25 September 2009, 5:41 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Reflective And Philosophical
more (634 total)
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 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
178 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) |
Iceland:L |
Canada:14+ (Ontario) |
South Korea:15 |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-12 |
France:U |
Germany:6 (w) |
Hong Kong:IIA |
Hungary:14 |
Netherlands:12 |
Norway:7 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:T |
Sweden:7 |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:12 |
USA:PG-13
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: When Quince is talking to Joe before the party, his wine glass jumps from hand to hand between shots.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Burn After Reading (2008)
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Soundtrack:
Happy Birthday To You
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (634 total)
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For a long time I put off watching this, because I have no interest in superficial, teen comedy flicks, as implied by the film's pedestrian title and by the casting of a youthful Brad Pitt. But "Meet Joe Black" is anything but "superficial", and "teen comedy" does not describe this movie at all.
Set in contemporary New York, the film follows a wealthy family whose patriarchal sixty-five year old head, played by Anthony Hopkins, is nearing the end of his life. Enter "Joe Black" (Brad Pitt), a handsome, but enigmatic, young man with an unusual agenda.
This is a thought-provoking movie about mortality and emotional separation. It will appeal to viewers with a reflective and philosophical nature. But the film also has humor, which keeps it from being grim. The pace is slow. There's lots of silence and stillness, entirely appropriate, given the subject matter. Among other things, the film presents the novel idea that a supernatural being can be subject to human emotions, and can make mistakes in judgment resulting from those emotions.
The film is not perfect. The plot is a tad egocentric. There's no reference to the universality and ongoing occurrence of death outside the confines of this family. Also, why now? Why does death choose to engage life in our present world, why not five hundred years ago? Minor script changes could have addressed these issues. The initial meeting between Susan (Claire Forlani) and Joe Black seems a little too convenient, but forms the basis for a plot twist that strengthens the overall story.
The acting is excellent. Anthony Hopkins is, as usual, outstanding. I would not have cast Brad Pitt in the role he plays, but he does a good job. Appropriate for this movie, the acting style for both Pitt and Forlani is one wherein they communicate their characters to viewers largely by means of their eyes, which, as taught by ancient philosophers, are the windows of the soul.
For viewers who liked "The Sixth Sense", another serious film with depth of meaning, I recommend "Meet Joe Black" most highly.