MEET JOE BLACK

From the director of SCENT OF A WOMAN and BEVERLY HILLS COP, Martin Brest crafts an over-long, but visually stunning modern fairy tale concerning a visitation on an opulent rich family by Death personified. In a typical Hollywood fashion, MEET JOE BLACK focuses on a spiritual subject, death, without considering the moral, metaphysical or religious implications of the subject. Even so, it is a thought-provoking but logically implausible (even within its own logic structure) movie that brought tears to the screening audience, but also yawns of boredom due to its length.

The always-excellent Anthony Hopkins plays media tycoon William Parrish. Aside from his wife meeting an early death, William has led a charmed life. He lives in opulence, runs a tight ship at work, has two beautiful daughters, unmarried Susan (Claire Forlani), and Allison (Marcia Gay Harden), married to faithful Quince (Jeffrey Tambor). Susan has recently been dating her father’s number one business man, the cunning and shrewd Drew (Jake Weber).

The story begins with Susan having a chat with her father William on their private jet. William sees that Susan is sad and tells her to choose true-love and happiness, even if it means not marrying Drew. The next day, Susan meets a handsome, young man (Brad Pitt) at a coffee shop. Forthright, charming and honest, he just might be the man her father referred. As they walk away from the coffee shop, the man turns while crossing a road to wave good-bye. He doesn’t see a car coming, and what follows is a very shocking and disturbing accident scene, certainly more than you would expect from a PG-13 movie.

Later that night at the family dinner, William hears voices and goes to his library. There, he meets what looks like the young man killed in the street. The man says that he is “Death” and became host to the man’s young body. Death” says that he has been watching William and is fascinated by his exemplary life. “Death” says that he wants to walk and live with William and his family for a while, until he must take William away. William protests, but “Death” says he could take him now. Realizing that he must take care of unfinished business, just days shy of his 65th birthday, William agrees to let “Death” be his constant companion. A final word on their agreement, should William reveal “Death’s” true identity, “Death” reserves the right to take him immediately.

So, what follows is a series of strange and odd events. Drew questions William’s new friend, now named Joe Black. Joe experiences sights, sounds, flavors (peanut butter), and sexual attraction for the first time. Joe notices Susan, who thinks he is the man from the coffee shop, and even desires to kiss her. Susan is initially confused by his sudden personality change, but is intrigued by his calm, secretive nature. Eventually, the two end up fornicating in a nudity-free but very seductive, for PG-13, love scene. Joe is so impressed by William and his family, that he helps William out of a business jam created by the now-revealed-to-be greedy Drew, and even practices self-sacrifice when he must make decisions about leaving Susan.

This remake of DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY avoids the religious, philosophic or metaphysical implications of the spiritual issues it raises. In doing so, it tries to avoid anti- ornon-Christian statements or philosophies even though the very essence of Death inhabiting a person is occult and anti-biblical. Furthermore, it does suggest that your good works on earth will dictate your status in the afterlife. Death tells William that he should not fear dying because of his good works. Spiritual confusion also arises when Death has emotions. It begs the questions: Where did he come from? Can he sin? For whom does he work? Finally, William’s morality and integrity are unmotivated by allegiance to God, a moral code or faith in Jesus Christ. Hence, his greatness comes across as a poster-boy advertisement for humanistic ideals.

MEET JOE BLACK also has large leaps of logic when Death declares love for Susan. How can he claim love for her? He hasn’t told her about himself. They don’t even know each other. While some people may be moved by the clandestine love affair, others will have a difficult time accepting it. Moral problems also arise with the car accident, the fornication and the foul language. Both Death and William ultimately make moral choices in the end, sacrificing their own selfish desires for the greater good, despite personal pain. In conclusion, MEET JOE BLACK is a tailor-made box office vehicle, with a good-looking cast, great-looking production values and lots of heart, but excess syrup and confusing logic and spirituality.