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Meet Joe Black (1998)

PG-13 | | Drama, Fantasy, Romance | 13 November 1998 (USA)
Meet Joe Black Poster
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 »

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani | See full cast & crew »
Watch on Prime Video rent/buy from $3.99
43
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Popularity
1,248 ( 435)
3 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

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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 ... Florist
See full cast »
Edit

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

Plot Keywords:

death | birthday | wealth | death personified | fear of death | See All (75) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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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:

Meet 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

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, City Light Films See more »
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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Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of William Parrish's country mansion scenes were shot at the Aldrich Mansion, 836 Warwick Neck Ave., Warwick, Rhode Island. See more »

Goofs

In the coffee shop, Susan pours cream into her coffee three times, and puts sugar in twice. 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 Will & Grace: Sons and Lovers (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

Cheek To Cheek
Written by Irving Berlin
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who's the voice of the death?
See more »

User Reviews

 
One of the best films of 1998, I can't praise this film enough!
9 January 2000 | by Pork_Scratchings – See all my reviews

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.
141 of 183 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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