It is three hours long. That’s the first thing anyone mentions when they talk about Meet Joe Black, the 1998 fantasy romance that somehow feels like it was filmed in a different century entirely. Most movies from the late nineties have a specific, fast-paced gloss, but director Martin Brest—the man who gave us Scent of a Woman—decided to let this one breathe. Or maybe he let it hyperventilate. Honestly, the pacing is so slow it’s practically geological. Yet, decades later, people are still obsessed with it. Some people watch it for the sheer, unadulterated star power of Brad Pitt at the absolute peak of his "pretty boy" era, while others are just there to see that infamous car accident scene that became a viral meme before memes were even a thing.
What is Meet Joe Black Actually Trying to Say?
The premise is basically a high-concept supernatural drama. Death, personified as a curious, blonde-haired young man, decides to take a "vacation" among the living. He chooses Bill Parrish (played by a very stoic Anthony Hopkins), a billionaire media mogul, to be his guide. In exchange for a few extra days of life, Bill has to show Death—who adopts the name Joe Black—what it’s like to be human. It’s a trade. Life for a tour.
If you think about it, the movie is a remake of the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday, based on the play by Alberto Casella. But where the original was a tight 79 minutes, this version expands into an epic about corporate takeovers and the ethics of tax planning. That’s where it gets weird. You have this sweeping, ethereal romance between Joe and Bill’s daughter, Susan (Claire Forlani), and then you have twenty-minute scenes about boardroom politics and John Marley’s character trying to prevent a merger. It’s an odd mix.
One of the most fascinating things about the Meet Joe Black film is the performance by Brad Pitt. People still argue about whether it was brilliant or terrible. He plays Joe with this wide-eyed, alien-like detachment. He speaks in a soft, halting monotone. He discovers peanut butter and acts like he’s just found the meaning of the universe. For some, it’s a masterclass in playing a non-human entity. For others, it’s just Brad Pitt looking slightly confused for 180 minutes while wearing a very expensive suit.
The Famous Scene Everyone Remembers
You know the one. Even if you haven't seen the whole movie, you've seen the clip. Brad Pitt walks out of a coffee shop, has a charming "meet-cute" with Claire Forlani, and then walks into the street. He looks back, looks forward, and then—bam—he gets hit by two different cars in a sequence that defies physics and common sense.
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It’s jarring. It’s violent. It’s also weirdly funny because of the way the stunt double (or dummy) bounces off the windshields. It’s the catalyst for the entire plot, as Death inhabits the body of the man who just died. But it remains the most talked-about moment because of how it shatters the dreamy, romantic atmosphere established in the first ten minutes.
Why the Runtime is the Biggest Hurdle
Critics in 1998 were not kind to the length. Roger Ebert famously gave it three stars but noted that the movie "has a lot of good things in it, but they're spaced so far apart." He wasn't wrong. There is a lot of silence in this movie. Characters look at each other. They sigh. They look at the scenery. They eat more peanut butter.
But there’s a segment of the audience that finds this therapeutic. In an age of TikTok and 15-second attention spans, sitting down for a three-hour movie about mortality feels like a radical act of slow-living. The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki—who went on to win three Oscars in a row for Gravity, Birdman, and The Revenant—is stunning. Every frame looks like a painting. If you’re going to spend three hours looking at anything, Lubezki’s lighting on Anthony Hopkins’ face is a pretty good choice.
The Cultural Legacy of Joe Black
Interestingly, the movie had a weirdly massive impact on the box office for a reason that had nothing to do with the plot. This was the first film to feature the trailer for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. People literally bought tickets to see the trailer and then walked out before the movie even started. It’s a legendary piece of Hollywood trivia. Imagine paying full price for a ticket, watching two minutes of Jar Jar Binks, and then skipping a three-hour drama starring Brad Pitt.
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But beyond the Star Wars connection, the film has aged into a "cozy" classic. It’s the kind of movie you put on when it’s raining outside. It deals with big, heavy themes:
- How do you say goodbye to your children when you know you're dying?
- Can you truly love someone if you don't understand what it means to lose them?
- What is the value of a single day?
Anthony Hopkins provides the emotional soul of the film. His "lightning could strike" speech to his daughter is genuinely moving. It’s the kind of writing that feels a bit "movie-ish" but works because Hopkins sells it with every fiber of his being. He makes you believe that a billionaire would be this poetic about love.
Technical Nuance and Director's Vision
Martin Brest is a perfectionist. Rumor has it he went through hundreds of takes for simple scenes. This explains the film's $90 million budget, which was astronomical for a drama in 1998. They built a massive, functional mansion interior on a soundstage in Brooklyn. They spent weeks on the lighting.
The film also features a beautiful score by Thomas Newman. If the music sounds familiar, it’s because it shares a certain DNA with The Shawshank Redemption and American Beauty. It’s lush, orchestral, and does a lot of the heavy lifting during those long, silent stares.
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Some viewers find the Jamaican woman scene—where Joe speaks in a Patois accent to a dying woman in a hospital—to be a bit cringe-inducing by modern standards. It’s a polarizing moment. It’s meant to show Joe’s connection to the "other side," but it feels out of place compared to the rest of the film’s high-society setting. It's one of those parts of the Meet Joe Black film that fans usually just skip over or ignore when defending it.
How to Approach a Rewatch
If you’re going to dive back into this world, don't try to multitask. This isn't a "background movie." If you miss the subtle shifts in Bill Parrish’s expression, the movie loses its impact. You have to let the slow pace wash over you.
- Watch for the chemistry: The tension between Pitt and Forlani is palpable. It’s slow-burn to the extreme.
- Appreciate the production design: Look at the textures of the suits, the wood in the library, and the sweeping views of the estate.
- Listen to the dialogue: It’s stylized. People don't talk like this in real life, but in the "Joe Black" universe, every sentence is weighted with significance.
Ultimately, the movie is a flawed masterpiece. It's too long, it's indulgent, and it's occasionally pretentious. But it’s also sincere. It’s not cynical. It actually tries to grapple with what it means to be alive and the tragedy of having to leave. In a film industry that currently favors sequels and superheroes, there’s something refreshing about a three-hour, big-budget meditation on the inevitability of death.
Actionable Insights for Movie Lovers:
- Allocate Time: Do not start this movie at 10:00 PM unless you plan on being up until 1:00 AM. It demands a dedicated block of time.
- Double Feature: If you want to see the evolution of this story, watch the 1934 Death Takes a Holiday first. It's a great study in how Hollywood storytelling changed over 60 years.
- Check the Soundtrack: If the movie is too long for you, at least listen to the Thomas Newman score on Spotify. It’s some of the best film music of the nineties.
- Analyze the Ending: Pay close attention to the final party scene. The use of fireworks and the bridge sequence is a technical marvel of practical effects and timing.
This isn't just a movie; it's an experience. Whether you love it or think it's an overblown mess, you can't deny that they don't make them like this anymore.