Meet Joe Black
Director Martin Brest's 1998 remake of Death Takes a Holiday stars Brad Pitt as Death who grants the ridiculously rich Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) a few extra days of life in exchange for letting him stick around in a stolen body and discover what's so great about life for himself. The body chosen by Death just so happens to be the same man Parrish's daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) falls for in an earlier scene. Rechristened as Joe Black, who refuses to provide any more information about himself, Joe inserts himself into Parrish's world causing havoc for Bill and romantic confusion for Susan.
Finding mixed success with critics and audiences, Meet Joe Black is unquestionably too long and self-indulgent. That said, it's also got some incredible moments, particularly any scene between Forlani and either Pitt or Hopkins, along with a great movie house to provide most of the film's setting, including Bill's lavish 65th birthday bash, and some underappreciated small roles from the likes of Jeffrey Tambor and Marcia Gay Harden. Jake Weber, as the film's villain, is less effective.
The meet cute between Susan and our unnamed man, who would later become Joe Black following his death, is one of the best I've seen in any film. Meet Joe Black is worth seeking out for this scene alone. And, because of the structure of the script, oddly we don't get to see that interaction again (at least until the end of the film where death leaves Susan a parting gift).
The script allows for Pitt to be charming in two different ways, although part of the unevenness of the plot is how naive the character of Death should be (which varies from scene to scene). Hopkins hits all the marks as a man attempting to get his house in order under extraordinary circumstances. And Forlani is utterly enchanting in a role that suggests a burgeoning superstardom that never quite materializes (despite the actress working steadily for the next two decades).
Meet Joe Black is a flawed film, but one I've gladly revisited several times over the years. While excessive in ways far beyond Bill Parrish's wealth, the film delivers Hopkins, Pitt, and especially Forlani moments to shine in a plot, while a bit wonky, that allows even Death to understand the joys and pains of a life well lived.
- Title: Meet Joe Black
- IMDb: link
