Meet Joe Black

1998

Character: Joe Black/Coffeeshop guy
Release Date: 2 November 1998
Directed By: Martin Brest
Written By: Ron Osborn, Jeff Reno, Kevin Wade, Bo Goldman, Alberto Casella, Walter Ferris, Maxwell Anderson, Gladys Lehman
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery/Romance/Drama
Tagline: No one can die – while he loves!
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Produced by: City Light Films, Universal Pictures
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Budget: $90,000,000 (estimated)
Filming Dates: 11 June 1997 – 12 November 1997

Cast:
Brad Pitt…Joe Black
Anthony Hopkins…William Parrish
Claire Forlani…Susan Parrish
Jake Weber…Drew
Marcia Gay Harden…Allison Parrish
Jeffrey Tambor…Quince

Filming Locations:
Aldrich Mansion – 836 Warwick Neck Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island, USA (William Parrish’s mansion)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
NASDAQ Marketsite, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
New Jersey, USA
New York City, New York, USA
Rhode Island, USA
Teaneck, New Jersey, USA (town)
Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

Synopsis:
Bill Parrish, 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 itself enters his home and his life, personified in a man’s body: Joe Black has arrived. His intention was to take Bill with him, but accidentally, Joe’s former host and Bills beautiful daughter Susan have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on earth as well as in Susan, who has no clue who she’s flirting with

Trivia & Facts:
Received a significant sales boost, as this was one of the first films the trailer for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) was attached to. This resulted in the near legendary occurrence of people paying full fare just to see the trailer, as well as a projected boost of those who stayed through the movie.

The most expensive film without special effects during its time.

The trailer borrows music from the score of Apollo 13 (1995).

From the gallery

Quotes
Joe Black: Careful Bill, you’ll give yourself a heart attack and ruin my vacation.

Drew: And who would’ve thought… you, an IRS agent.
Joe Black: Death and Taxes.

William Parrish: You want me to be your guide?
Joe Black: You fit the bill, Bill.

Drew: We all know this deal is as certain as death and taxes.
Joe Black: Death and taxes?
Drew: Yes.
Joe Black: *Death* and taxes?
Drew: Yes.
Joe Black: What an odd pairing.

Susan Parrish: Tell me you love me now.
Joe Black: I love you now. I love you always.

Joe Black: Thank you for loving me.

Joe Black: I can’t believe you people. I come for you, and you want to stay, I let you stay and you want to go.

William Parrish: Do you know about money?
Joe Black: It can’t buy happiness?

Joe Black: I don’t care Bill. I love her.
William Parrish: How perfect for you – to take whatever you want because it pleases you. That’s not love.
Joe Black: Then what is it?
William Parrish: Some aimless infatuation which, for the moment, you feel like indulging – it’s missing everything that matters.
Joe Black: Which is what?
William Parrish: Trust, responsibility, taking the weight for your choices and feelings, and spending the rest of your life living up to them. And above all, not hurting the object of your love.
Joe Black: So that’s what love is according to William Parrish?
William Parrish: Multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depth of forever, and you will still have barely a glimpse of what I’m talking about.

Joe Black: Those were my words.
William Parrish: They’re mine now.

William Parrish: You’re at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong woman!
Joe Black: Are you threatening me?
William Parrish: Yeah, I certainly hope so.

Joe Black: Should you choose to test my resolve in this matter, you will be facing a finality beyond your comprehension, and you will not be counting days, or months, or years, but milleniums in a place with no doors.

[Watching the fireworks above the party before they depart]
William Parrish: It’s hard to let go, isn’t it?
Joe Black: Yes it is, Bill.
William Parrish: And that’s life… what can I tell you.

Joe Black: Don’t be feisty, sista.
Jamaican Woman: I not be feisty mista. You com’ for me that’s good news.
Joe Black: Can do no right by people. I com’ to take you you want to stay – I leave you stay, you want to go.

Joe Black: You got enough nice pictures?

Susan Parrish: What will we do now?
Joe Black: It will come to us.

William Parrish: Should I be afraid?
Joe Black: Not a man like you.

Joe Black: …But Allison loves you?
Quince: [Quince nods yes between stifled sobs]
Joe Black: How do you know?
Quince: Because she knows the worst thing about me and it’s okay.
Joe Black: What is it?

William Parrish: Who is you? Did you tell her who you are?
Joe Black: No.
William Parrish: Does she know here she’s going? Huh? You see, Susan went for that poor son of a bitch who’s body you took. And everything else since has been aftermath. You say you love her but you don’t know what love is. She loves you, she doesn’t know who you are. You make a deal you’re breaking it. Bottom line is, Joe, you’re swindling her soul, and you’re doing it with your eyes wide open.
Joe Black: I don’t like what you’re saying.
William Parrish: I’m past caring what you like and what you don’t like. You’re stealing my daughter and I’m not gonna let you.

Joe Black: Happy birthday Bill!

External Links
Official website
IMDB

SB Store (US)
Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Meet Joe Black (HD DVD)
Meet Joe Black (Ultimate Edition DVD)

SB Store (UK)
Meet Joe Black (DVD)