meet joe black
REVIEW
Every time I go to the movies I hope to see a film that is truly unforgettable. Most of the time the is not that case but every once in a while I see a movie that creates a perfect moment in my life. I remember the place, the time, the people and the feeling. I don’t think most people forget the feeling they have after seeing “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Forrest Gump” for the first time. They are drawn back to the story and the characters again and again to remind themselves and want to see the world through those eyes once more. I have a few personal favorite films that I come back to over and over but there is one I come back to more than any other. This film is a story so grand and feels so cinematic it could only come from Hollywood. It is filled with wonderfully written dialogue delivered by characters whose world we are lucky to be apart of, even if only for a few hours. Through out my life I have carried advice given in this movie as if it came from my own father. The film is “Meet Joe Black.”
Anthony Hopkins stars as William Parish, a respected media mogul and loving father who through out the film dispenses rosy advice rooted in the wisdom of a man who has lived a first rate life. We come into his story just days before his 65th birthday where he is greeted by Death who has taken the body of a young man played by Brad Pitt. Parish and Death make an agreement: Parish will get to live a few extra days in exchange for serving as a guide and showing Death what living a human life has to offer.
The scale of this movie is extravagant and it must be because we are shown the life of a man who is surrounded by things of refined taste, class and beauty. Parish is a man of extreme wealth, always in a beautifully tailored suit, who flies from his hillside mansion in upstate New York on his helicopter to his office in the city. We get the sense of this mans power but it is in getting to know his character that we are drawn into his story. Through out the film we see he is a man of honor, integrity and selflessness and who has gained his position in life through these admirable qualities. His family and colleagues respect the man he is and look to him for leadership and advice. It is in the conversations he has with the people he surrounds himself with that we find the heart of this film.
There is a scene early on in the film where Parish is flying to the city with his daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) and riding along with them is her boyfriend, who also happens to be Parish’s right hand man in business. When Parish talks to Susan about her relationship he sees a girl making a safe choice. A choice perhaps to please others in her life. He proceeds to give Susan advice and this is the first time we get a sense of the character of the man whose story we are about to take part of. What he says to her is a quote that I have come back to time and time again.
“I know it's a cornball thing, but love is passion. Obsession. Someone you can't live without. I say fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy, and who'll love you the same way back. How do you you find 'em? Well, you forget your head and you listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Because the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.”
What more could a parent want from their child than to live a life they are proud of. A life filled with passion and risk. A life lived in hope and not fear. Parish has lived the advice he gives and is a shinning example of the rewards that come from a life lived in passion.
Later in the film Parish gives a follow up to the advice given to his daughter but now is directed towards her suitor. He is speaking to Joe Black (Death), who has fallen in love with Susan. Though powerless to stop Death from anything he chooses to do, Parish pleads his case and fights out of love for his daughter and expresses the type of love he wishes for her.
“I loved Susan from the moment she was born, and I love her now and every minute in between. And what I dream of is a man who will discover her, and that she will discover a man who will love her, who is worthy of her, who is of this world, this time and has the grace, compassion, and fortitude to walk beside her as she makes her way through this beautiful thing called life.”
There are so many incredible exchanges between truly memorable characters in this movie I find joy in it from beginning to end. The meet-cute between Brad Pitt and Claire Forlani at a New York coffee shop is everything I want in a Hollywood movie. It is an ideal. With a runtime of just over three hours it is no small undertaking but we are shown a story with characters who reveal themselves over time. There is nothing rushed in this film. It is mean to be enjoyed. There are moments that remind us of the simple pleasures in life and how they are not meant to be overlooked. I don’t think I have ever seen a movie that builds to a more satisfying or cinematic ending. The music soars and carries you off in a perfect state of sadness and joy. You know you have been on a journey and are rewarded for the experience and in the words of William Parish “That’s life… what can I tell you.”
