Meet Joe Black

Meet Joe Black is a 1998 American romantic fantasy drama film directed and produced by Martin Brest, starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Claire Forlani. The screenplay was written by Bo Goldman, Kevin Wade, Ron Osborn, and Jeff Reno, and is loosely based on the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday, which is itself based on the 1929 play Death Takes a Holiday by Walter Ferris, which is in turn an English-language adaptation of the 1924 Italian play La morte in vacanza by Alberto Casella.

Celebrating his 65th birthday, businessman and devoted family man Bill Parrish is visited by Death, who wants to know what it is like to be human in return for giving Bill extra days of his life.

Media mogul Bill Parrish is contemplating a merger with another media giant. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter Allison is planning an elaborate 65th birthday party for him. His younger daughter Susan, a resident in internal medicine, has a relationship with Drew, a member of Bill's board. As Bill contemplates Susan's planned wedding to Drew and seeing she is not deeply in love, he suggests she wait to be swept off her feet.

After Bill's company helicopter lands at his office, he hears a voice that he tries to ignore. Arriving in his office, Bill has pains in his chest and hears the voice again, saying "the answer to your question is yes".

While eating breakfast near her hospital, Susan meets a young man and immediately forms a connection. She departs without getting his name. Unbeknownst to her, directly afterward, he is struck fatally by multiple cars.

That evening, Bill hears the voice again, which summons him to a room. Materializing, the voice identifies itself as "Death" and now inhabits the body of the young man Susan met at the restaurant. Death explains that Bill's impassioned speech to his daughter piqued his interest.

Given Bill's "competence, experience, and wisdom", Death says that for as long as Bill is his guide on Earth, he can postpone taking him. They both return to the dinner table and, under pressure to make an introduction, Bill spontaneously names the young man "Joe Black". Joe does not seem to know how to drink, eat, or use eating utensils and is fascinated by the small things everyone else takes for granted.

Drew secretly conspires to sell Parrish Communications, despite Bill's strong objections. Capitalizing on Bill's strange behavior and reliance on Joe, he convinces the board of directors to vote Bill out as chairman and to approve the merger. Intrigued by Joe's naivete, Susan realizes he is different from the young man she met in the restaurant. She falls in love with him and he with her. Later, Bill sees them kissing and angrily confronts Joe about his relationship with Susan. He then expresses his disapproval of the pairing to Susan who says she loves him and he suggests to her that Joe will not be around much longer.