Why Meet Joe Black’s Ending Still Breaks Hearts Over 25 Years Later

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Titled “Meet Joe Black,” this film is a captivating romantic drama with an intriguing twist, offering more depth than it initially suggests. Released in 1998 and helmed by Martin Brest, “Meet Joe Black” is a distinctive romantic drama infused with a touch of fantasy, setting it apart from the myriad romance movies of the ’90s. The film garnered a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was snubbed entirely at the 1999 Academy Awards, receiving mixed reviews upon its premiere. However, over time, the unusual yet poignant tale of an interstellar romance has gained favor.

In this movie, Anthony Hopkins plays a wealthy media tycoon named Bill Parrish who is nearing death. His daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) has just ended her engagement, with her father’s encouragement to wait for true love. When Death appears in the form of a man Susan met at a coffee shop, played by Brad Pitt, it adds a unique twist to their story. Through this encounter, Joe and the Parrishes gain insights into life and love. If I were prone to emotional responses during romantic films, I might have shed a tear or two at the end of “Meet Joe Black.

What Happens At The End Of Meet Joe Black

Joe And Bill Pass On Together Without Regrets

As the climax of “Meet Joe Black” nears, it becomes apparent that Joe has grown fond of the world of the living. Having experienced death firsthand, he finds himself appreciating life, and even develops romantic feelings for Susan Parrish. However, his understanding of death leaves him unable to cope with its finality towards the living. In a desperate attempt to be together forever, Joe contemplates taking Susan’s life. Bill, recognizing the gravity of the situation, urges Joe to grasp the essence of true love and realizes that stealing Susan’s life would amount to betrayal. With Bill’s 65th birthday fast approaching, time is running out for Bill, Joe, and Susan.

At the gathering, Joe and Susan shared a dance together, and it was then that Joe chose to bare his feelings completely for Susan. He expressed this through an embrace, and a spark in Susan’s eyes suggested she had finally grasped everything. Susan, realizing why the kind man from the café had been acting peculiar, understood he wasn’t the man from the café after all. Now aware that Susan never held affection for him, Joe granted her the freedom to comprehend true love and departed with Bill. All Susan could do was watch, tears welling up as she acknowledged what was about to unfold.

Joe and Bill pass over a nearby bridge, and Susan watches them vanish. But she receives an unexpected turn of events. As he returns over the hill, looking disheveled and bewildered is the man from the coffee shop. This is the same man who met his demise in a car accident as depicted in Meet Joe Black, and whose spirit was inhabited by Joe for the remainder of the movie. It’s evident that he has no recollection of anything since encountering Susan at the coffee shop. However, there is one thing he does recall – his fondness for this girl from the coffee shop, and the couple stroll hand-in-hand back towards the gathering.

Joe And Susan’s Love Story Is Bittersweet

Joe Learns What True Love Really Means

Joe Black, who represents death, has never known human emotions, especially love, until he encounters Susan. The intensity of his newfound feelings leads him to a desperate act – trying to take her away from the world of the living. This is somewhat reminiscent of Hades abducting Persephone in Greek mythology. However, Joe eventually learns a vital lesson about love: if you truly care for something, sometimes it’s best to let it go free.

In this scenario, it’s clear that Joe understands Susan had feelings for the deceased man whose life he now embodies. Recognizing tearing Susan away from her world would be selfish and against love, Joe decides they cannot, and should not, be together. This ending is quite emotional as both characters accept their separation. To further tug at heartstrings, Joe brings the coffee shop man back to life as a final, tender gesture for Susan.

Joe Helps Bill Take Back Control Of His Company From Drew

Quince Helps Joe Get Drew Fired From The Board

In the movie “Meet Joe Black,” there’s a subplot where Susan’s ex-fiance, Drew (played by Jake Weber), attempts to take over Bill’s media firm from him. Remarkably, he almost succeeds. When Bill begins introducing the mysterious and peculiar Joe Black everywhere, Drew exploits this situation and spreads misinformation among the board members. He makes it appear as if Bill is allowing an unknown individual to make significant decisions for the company, leading the board to vote Bill out.

Quince, Bill’s son-in-law (played by Jeffrey Tambor), accidentally informed Drew about a business conversation between Joe Black and Bill. Now, Quince regrets the outcome of his disclosure. However, Joe devises a scheme involving the remorseful Quince. Joe unveils his hidden identity to Drew and the board, who were all gathered for a birthday celebration. He feigns being an Internal Revenue Service agent investigating alleged financial misconduct within the company and with Drew. As a result, the board immediately dismisses Drew from his position, and ensures that Bill’s reputation is restored, allowing him to depart on a high note.

Susan Loved The Man In The Coffee Shop, Not Joe Black

Joe Was Never Meant To Be With Susan

One significant query in the movie ‘Meet Joe Black‘ revolves around whether Susan fell in love with the being known as Joe Black, or if her affection was genuinely for the man from the coffee shop. Although Susan spends much of the film with Joe Black, it’s evident that the person she truly fell for was the man from the coffee shop. They established their initial bond. In fact, Susan finds herself perplexed by Joe Black’s unusual behavior, wondering why the captivating café man is acting so oddly now.

Despite my initial affection for him being puzzled by his confusion over peanut butter, I find myself still intrigued by this man. As time goes on, I realize that Joe, the man from the coffee shop, and I share a unique bond with only one of them earning my love. Upon his return, he shares his wish to have known my father, to which I reciprocate, hinting at the loss of Joe Black in my life.

In the film, Susan asks the barista a question similar to one she asked Joe earlier: “What do we do next?” Both men answer with something that touched Susan: “It will come to us.” This phrase had a special meaning for her. The fact that the barista says it without any prompting from Joe adds validity to her belief that he is the man she has romantic feelings for. In this genre, the loss of Joe and her father sets up Susan’s eventual discovery of true love.

The Real Meaning Of Meet Joe Black’s Ending

Meet Joe Black Is About Living Your Life To The Fullest

From a movie enthusiast’s perspective, “Meet Joe Black” offers a contemplative exploration of both death and love. The film seeks to demystify the notion of death as an intimidating figure, instead painting it as an individual simply out of place in the human world. What truly terrifies us is the prospect of departing this world without having accomplished our goals or expressed our deepest sentiments. In a poignant moment, Bill shares a heartfelt dialogue with his eldest child, Allison (Marcia Gay Harden), finding common ground at last. He also shares a dance with Susan and bids farewell to those he cherished. It’s a life well spent, one filled with love and understanding.

In the film “Meet Joe Black“, Death, who seemed quite daunting, became something I came to appreciate as an integral part of life. If we lived forever, everything would lose its significance. That’s what Joe Black learns. If he took Susan with him into the realm of the dead, their love would have lost its essence. Even Death itself understands that it’s the fleeting nature of life that makes it valuable. That’s why it was so difficult for him to leave in the end.

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2025-04-19 16:10