Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Meet Joe Black

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Martin Brest
Alan Smithee
Produced by Martin Brest
Written by Bo Goldman
Starring Brad Pitt
Anthony Hopkins
Claire Forlani
Jake Weber
Marcia Gay Harden
Jeffrey Tambor
Music by Thomas Newman
Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki
Editing by Joe Hutshing
Michael Tronick
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) November 13, 1998
Running time Original cut
181 min. Martin Brest ( August 8, 1951) is an American Filmmaker, producer, Screenwriter, Film editor, and Actor For the 1997 film see An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn, Alan Smithee (or the alternate spellings Allen Smithee Alan Smythee Martin Brest ( August 8, 1951) is an American Filmmaker, producer, Screenwriter, Film editor, and Actor Robert "Bo" Goldman (born September 10, 1932) is an American writer Broadway playwright and Academy Award winning Screenwriter William Bradley "Brad" Pitt Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Claire Forlani (born July 1, 1972) is an English film and television actress. Jake Weber (born March 19, 1964) is a British Actor. and also studied at Russia's famed Moscow Art Theatre. Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an Academy Award -winning and Tony Award and Emmy Award-nominated American Actress. Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American Actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr Thomas Montgomery Newman (born October 20, 1955 Los Angeles California USA is an American 8 time Academy Award -nominated Film score Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC AMC (born Emmanuel Lubezki Morgenstern 1964 in Mexico City) is an award-winning Mexican Cinematographer, known Joe Hutshing is an American Film editor who grew up in San Diego, California and is most well known for working multiple times with film director Michael Tronick is an American Film editor known for editing films like Mr Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St The year 1998 in film involved some significant events Events February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein
Alan Smithee cut
129 min. For the 1997 film see An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn, Alan Smithee (or the alternate spellings Allen Smithee Alan Smythee
Country United States
Language English
Budget $90 million
Gross revenue $142,940,100
Preceded by Death Takes a Holiday (remake)
Official website
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Meet Joe Black is a 1998 remake of the 1934 film, Death Takes a Holiday, originally having been remade in 1971 under the same name as the original. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Death Takes a Holiday ( 1934) is a romantic Fantasy film produced by Paramount Pictures. The year 1998 in film involved some significant events Events February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein A " remake' " is a term used to described something that has been done again sometimes with better Quality, and usually with more features Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (formerly of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Death Takes a Holiday ( 1934) is a romantic Fantasy film produced by Paramount Pictures. The year 1971 in film involved some significant events Events February 8 - Bob Dylan 's hour long documentary Meet Joe Black stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani. William Bradley "Brad" Pitt Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Claire Forlani (born July 1, 1972) is an English film and television actress. It was directed by Martin Brest. Martin Brest ( August 8, 1951) is an American Filmmaker, producer, Screenwriter, Film editor, and Actor

Contents

Plot

Meet Joe Black is the story of Death taking a break from his usual duties and inhabiting the body of a recently deceased young man in order to learn what it is like to be human. It is a slow-paced movie that draws on subtle symmetries and aims to express the one man's thoughts on life and wishes for his family, brought on by a physical encounter with his own mortality - Death him (or it) self.

The film covers three main storylines; a naive Angel of Death's (Brad Pitt) first experiences with simple pleasures (such as peanut butter), Death's chosen guide (Hopkins) attempting to manage his business based on the principles on which he founded it while coming to terms with his own mortality, and a romance between "Joe Black" and a young woman, Susan, his guide's daughter (Claire Forlani). William Bradley "Brad" Pitt Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground roasted Peanuts with or without added oil Claire Forlani (born July 1, 1972) is an English film and television actress. The movie opens with an introduction to Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins). Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Bill is facing his 65th birthday party and he sees fewer days in front than behind. Indeed, he is approached in his home and work by what he thinks are hallucinations - Death himself has come with the intention of escorting him to the afterlife as part of Death's duties.

Bill, touched by his dream-like brush with mortality, expresses his desire for his daughter, Susan, to live out a life with passion. She is considering marriage but Parrish is not that impressed by her relationship. When she asks for the "plain English" version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!"

Shortly after hearing her dad's advice, Susan meets a vibrant young man who had just moved into the city in a coffee shop. They instantly click, in fact, he seems so perfect for her that it scares her; he also chooses to use the words "lightning may strike. " Immediately after this encounter, turning the corner from Susan, the young man is struck in a dramatic car accident & taken to a local New York City hospital. Death returns to Bill's home in the form of the young man, explaining that his impassioned speech has piqued his interest after an eternity of boredom. Thanks to Bill's "competence, experience and wisdom", Death has chosen him and tells Bill that in return for extra time, Bill shall be his guide on Earth. In return Bill will "get time, minutes, days, weeks. Let's not get encumbered by detail. . . what matters is that I stay interested".

Death places himself at Bill's right hand, taking the persona of 'Joe', and establishing his place in Bill's home and work, instructing Bill to reveal his identity to nobody. This proves complicated as the Board of Directors of Bill's media empire are urging for a union with a larger company, under the instigation of Susan's fiancé, Drew (Jake Weber). Jake Weber (born March 19, 1964) is a British Actor. and also studied at Russia's famed Moscow Art Theatre. After a tense Board meeting where Bill advises the Board against the merger, Joe ventures out into the city to explore. He visits the hospital where Susan works as a doctor to see her and in doing so, observes the process of Death that he isn't usually involved with - the human aspect of mortality. He is recognized by a dying patient, who tells him she is in pain. She begged him to take her to that "next place", to ease her pain. Death told the patient to close her eyes and he reached out to touch her, who visibly relaxed, being granted a temporary reprieve, and Death told her, "Soon. . "

He returns to visit Bill, who describes his late wife and how he felt that he couldn't live on without her after her death. He says to Joe that he had probably heard this "a trillion times before," to which Joe responds, ". . . and more". Their conversation is interrupted by Drew who is bothered by the reversal of Bill's decision of the merger. Bill becomes angry at the prospect of the company that he built becoming less than he planned, believing that a man should leave something of integrity in his passing; Joe cautions "Easy, Bill; You'll give yourself a heart attack and ruin my vacation. "

Realizing that Joe could end his delay at any time, Bill arranges for dinner with his family two nights in a row, raising concerns. Bill attempts a broken and awkward speech about family, after which he invites them all back for dinner again the next night. Touched by his feelings, they all agree, with one exception. Drew is angered by this mysterious stranger who appears to have taken the ear of Bill Parrish and disrupted his merger plans. He is even more rankled by the increasing closeness between Susan and Joe. After a number of snide comments aimed at Joe over dinner, Drew confronts Susan about her feelings for Joe, which ends in him questioning their relationship.

After a flirtatious conversation with Joe, who has overheard the argument with Drew, Susan is warned by Bill not to get too close to this mysterious stranger. Meanwhile, the next day, Drew has gathered the board of the company, advising them that Parrish has been unconditionally influenced by "Mr. Joe Black," and tells them the offer from the rival company has been sweetened - and will be accepted with or without Parrish as Chairman.

After a scene where Parrish is reminded of the virtue of family when he distresses his other daughter, Allison (Marcia Gay Harden), who is trying to organize Bill's sixty-fifth birthday party, he answers the door to Drew, who starkly threatens that the Board will see him removed over the acceptance of the merger. Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an Academy Award -winning and Tony Award and Emmy Award-nominated American Actress. He leaves, with Susan following, but not before angrily announcing to her that this is "the end of my chapter with the Parrishes. And the end began with this guy," indicating Joe, who has also followed. After a tense and crude standoff, Drew breaks off their relationship, leaving Susan and Joe alone. The pair become romantically close and after kissing her, Joe realizes that he has reached a pivotal moment with this mortal woman. They are interrupted by Bill, who shows understandable concern for his daughter.

The following morning, Parrish is confronted by Drew and the Board of Directors, who reiterate their intentions regarding the merger. After Bill's emphatic refusal to accept both the merger and the Board's request for the identity of Joe, they vote to make Bill "Chairman Emeritus", powerless and dethroned. After the meeting, it is revealed that Drew was in collaboration with the rival company from the start, with the intention of seizing power and then selling off Parrish Communications for a huge profit.

Bill and Joe return home, where Bill, disheartened, goes for a nap. Joe comes across Susan and after an awkward moment, they make love. In the heat of the moment, Joe experiences these tender feelings with fresh eyes, terrified, exhilarated, out of control and exploring new territory. Afterwards, he tells her of his intention to stay with her. He meets with Bill who defies this union and reminds Joe of who he really is and his purpose in this universe. Joe disregards Bill's violent words and turns on his heel.

Shortly after another encounter with Bill's daughter, Joe realizes that he must leave if he really cares about her, as she describes how she fell in love with him when they met at the cafe before Death took control of Joe's body. Joe returns to Bill, where he "reveals" he is actually an IRS agent investigating Drew's dealings, a play on the saying, "death and taxes". Bill is restored as chairman and the merger is canceled.

In his speech at the lavish gala celebration, Bill Parrish fondly expresses his appreciation to his daughters for their work preparing it as well as his love for both of them. Joe then escorts Bill out of sight over a nearby hill. (It is assumed at this point that Bill has passed. ) Death then sends back over the hill the young man whose body he borrowed, allowing Susan that chance to finally pursue the relationship from the beginning of the movie: a final gift of love to her from Death. The story ends with both of them watching the fireworks celebrating her father's birthday, and they start a new life together.

Cast

Reception

Opinions of the film vary greatly. William Bradley "Brad" Pitt Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Claire Forlani (born July 1, 1972) is an English film and television actress. Jake Weber (born March 19, 1964) is a British Actor. and also studied at Russia's famed Moscow Art Theatre. Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an Academy Award -winning and Tony Award and Emmy Award-nominated American Actress. Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American Actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr Many critics find the film's three-hour running time excessive, while others feel that its slow pace allows the stories told to feel more personal and poignant. This division of opinion is highlighted by the awards it received: while the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films nominated it for a Saturn Award in three categories - Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Music - the film was also nominated in the Worst Remake or Sequel category at the Razzie Awards. The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in Science fiction, Fantasy Gary Richied of the Westchester Gazette has given this movie a 4 star rating, citing the Academy Award deserving performances by Pitt and Hopkins. It also received positive reviews from Siskel and Ebert, who gave it "Two Thumbs Up", with Ebert adding "there's so much that's fine in this movie. "[1]

While the film had a disappointing domestic box office return of $44,619,100, it fared much better overseas. Taking in an additional $98,321,000, the movie grossed a worldwide total of $142,940,100.

A two-hour version was made to show on television and airline flights, by cutting most of the plotline involving Hopkins' character's business. Brest disowned it, and the director's credit was changed to Alan Smithee. For the 1997 film see An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn, Alan Smithee (or the alternate spellings Allen Smithee Alan Smythee

Trivia

External links

Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. Box Office Mojo is a Website that tracks Box office Revenue in a systematic way Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic