Ep. 28 - It's a Valentine Show! Meet Joe Black!

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[0:00] J.J.: Welcome back to the Movie Theater! It’s our Valentine’s episode, and we’re diving into one of our favorite romantic films, *Meet Joe Black*.

[0:30] Olaf: That’s right! Love is definitely in the air this week.

[1:00] J.J.: Grab your tissues, folks, because this movie is a beautiful tearjerker.

[1:11] Olaf: Absolutely! It’s a film that really captures the essence of love and loss.

[1:41] J.J.: And it’s got such a unique premise. I mean, who would have thought to have Death personified as a character?

[2:11] Olaf: Right? It’s such an interesting take on the whole concept of life and love.

[2:36] J.J.: Plus, the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins is just incredible.

[3:05] Olaf: And let’s not forget Claire Forlani! She brings so much heart to the film.

[3:34] J.J.: Definitely! Her character is so relatable and adds depth to the story.

[3:59] Olaf: I think what makes this film stand out is how it balances the heavy themes with moments of lightness.

[4:27] J.J.: Exactly! It’s not just a sad love story; it has its funny and uplifting moments too.

[4:57] Olaf: And the cinematography is stunning. The way they capture the emotions on screen is just beautiful.

[5:27] J.J.: I agree! The visuals really enhance the storytelling.

[5:57] Olaf: So, what’s your favorite scene from the movie?

[6:27] J.J.: Oh man, that’s tough! I think the dinner scene where Joe first meets the family is iconic.

[6:57] Olaf: That’s a great choice! It’s so awkward yet hilarious.

[7:27] J.J.: And it sets the tone for the rest of the film perfectly.

[7:57] Olaf: For sure! It really showcases the blend of humor and drama.

[8:27] J.J.: What about you? What scene stands out to you?

[8:57] Olaf: I’d have to say the final moments. They’re just so powerful and emotional.

[9:27] J.J.: Absolutely! It leaves a lasting impression.

[9:57] Olaf: And it really makes you think about the nature of love and loss.

[10:27] J.J.: That’s what I love about this film. It resonates on so many levels.

[10:57] Olaf: It’s definitely a movie that stays with you long after the credits roll.

[11:27] J.J.: So, let’s dive deeper into the themes and characters as we celebrate this Valentine’s classic!

[11:57] Olaf: Sounds good! Let’s get into it!

[12:36] J.J.: That's Falling in Love, Taking a Leap, Not Being Afraid of What's Around the Corner.

[12:54] Olaf: This is the kind of movie that makes you want to live, right? It makes you want to sort of grab it and go and not be reckless with reckless abandon, but just sort of not overthink things and not be so worried about the pitfalls and all these things. Just sort of like see what happens. Leave yourself open to these sorts of things.

[13:14] J.J.: Exactly. So we first see Brad Pitt 11 minutes into the movie. Susan goes off to a coffee shop and she runs into Brad Pitt, which is just the biggest romance movie trope in the world, where they meet at a coffee shop and suddenly start up a conversation and then they're there for what seems like hours.

[13:36] Olaf: Right. Yeah, it does. Probably 30 minutes. But the way they cut away back to it.

[13:41] J.J.: Yeah, when they cut back to it and he's taking off his suit coat and it just seems like the waitress is waiting for them to leave so they can close up, even though it's still like the morning. I mean, clearly she's got to go to work and he's got to do that as well.

[13:58] Olaf: Yeah, it's definitely a meet cute as the romantic comedy term would be is that their first encounter and what really caps that off is Brad Pitt happens to mention something that she had just heard from her father after getting that big speech about love and passion, which was keeping yourself open because who knows, lightning might strike. And as they're getting ready to leave, Brad Pitt says, who knows, lightning might strike.

[14:26] J.J.: What I found interesting, and of course, this is the whole they're clearly going to see each other again in different circumstances, but they don't get either. Either of them don't get each other's name. And if you feel like they've been at a diner and a conversation for what seems to be at least 30 minutes, maybe an hour, you think that they would have introduced themselves to each other at some point.

[14:46] Olaf: Yeah. It's funny because I feel like that's happened to me where I've ended up in a conversation with somebody and we never introduced ourselves. And then that's it. And it's like, I have no idea what their name is.

[15:00] J.J.: Right. Right. Yeah. I mean, it's not plausible. It clearly it happens, as you just said, but I found it interesting. And of course, because of the story and the way it's going, it makes sense that we don't get his name because at the moment he's just guy at the coffee shop.

[15:14] Olaf: In fact, he always is.

[15:16] J.J.: Exactly. That part of Brad Pitt's character is always just guy at the coffee shop.

[15:21] Olaf: Guy at the coffee shop. So they get ready to leave and they've clearly become smitten with each other. And they even say how much they like each other so much. And they have to go in opposite directions. And they keep turning back and seeing the other person walking away. And then the other person turning back and see.

[15:40] J.J.: Which is a very obvious trope as well.

[15:43] Olaf: But it was done really well.

[15:45] J.J.: Right. It doesn't bother me. The first time you watch it, I didn't realize he was in the middle of the street when he turned back again.

[15:50] Olaf: Yeah. You watch it now and you're like, he's just in the middle of the street in New York. What are you doing? Why would you do that? That is crazy.

[15:59] J.J.: But yeah, the first time I didn't wasn't observing that.

[16:01] Olaf: Yeah. He gets hit by ultimately two cars.

[16:05] J.J.: It happens so suddenly and it's so shocking that it's actually almost a little funny.

[16:12] Olaf: Absolutely. It's that laugh because you're shocked at what you've just seen. And I remember exactly that feeling when I watched it in the theater the first time.

[16:21] J.J.: And if you look close, you can see that it's CGI.

[16:25] Olaf: Yeah.

[16:26] J.J.: But you don't. Even now for 1998, it holds up.

[16:30] Olaf: Yeah. I don't ever. It's so quick. That never takes me out of it. It's more of like, did that just happen? Is that what we're doing? Because you're like, what? We're 15 minutes in.

[16:40] J.J.: Yeah. And he's dead.

[16:42] Olaf: Exactly. And then you don't realize that he is going to come back in a different way, which I think is done really, really well.

[16:52] J.J.: Oh, yeah. The moment it happens, like when he finally does show up because they've been using Anthony Hopkins's voice as death. Anytime Hopkins has heard death, talk to him. It's his voice.

[17:06] Olaf: Which I love because when you have your own inner monologue, it's your own voice. It was beautiful. They didn't use Brad Pitt's voice. They didn't sort of try to mask Anthony Hopkins's voice. It was just his own voice, which I always thought was a really nice touch.

[17:21] J.J.: And I really like that death visited Bill Parish at his office and essentially was putting him through a heart attack.

[17:29] Olaf: Yes. And Anthony Hopkins is brilliant in that. And all he was hearing again was the word yes. That's all he's hearing at first. He's like, what are you talking about? He goes, yes, is the answer to your question. He's like, what question? He's like, you know. But he won't tell him. And then he says, I'll see you soon. And then he leaves.

[18:01] J.J.: Yeah. Now we're at their high rise mansion at the top of a skyscraper. If you notice, the Plaza Hotel is in that shot. So it's like right off Fifth Avenue, right at like the Central Park or something. It's like right there. I don't know if that building actually exists, but I can't remember. It's been a while. And other than having a big library and a swimming pool, it seems like its only function is really just to have dinner.

[18:26] Olaf: Well, I mean, they show multiple rooms. I mean, in this place, the only thing they're really doing is meeting for dinner multiple times throughout the course of the movie. I think the pool is at the top of the skyscraper, but like there's times where they go out the front door. So how long is that elevator ride?

[18:47] J.J.: It's a pretty tall building.

[18:48] Olaf: It is. One of the things I really like about this movie is that it is, for the most part, a romance movie, but it's not your traditional like this is the only thing we're going to focus on. We mentioned that there is this subplot of the business side that he has, which makes these other characters more interesting. They're not just sort of there to move the romance plot along. They do serve other functions. You're not just sitting there going, OK, well, they meet and they're going to fall in love and then something's going to happen and they're going to have to go through this big adversity before they resolve it at the end. Now, there's other things that are going on.

[19:26] J.J.: And that's another testament to the casting of it, because Jake Webber, who plays Drew, I think prior to this, for me, the only thing I had seen him in was like Pelican Brief, where he plays the whistleblower and that cast is huge. And I've seen Pelican Brief, but I did not clock him. This is the first time I could knowingly clock him.

[19:50] Olaf: And honestly, when I saw him in what was it, Dawn of the Dead or something, and he's playing a good guy, it was really hard for me to accept.

[19:58] J.J.: Well, he's also like he was in Medium, that TV show with Patricia Arquette. So he had done he's done stuff since clearly. But this movie, to me, relative unknown. Claire Forlani, if you're in the indie world, obviously Mallrats and then Mystery Men came out the same year as this. Just stunning. And she was in The Rock. She played Sean Connery's daughter. To me, she is a forgotten gem.

[20:21] Olaf: Yeah, she's great. And then you get like when you mentioned Jeffrey Tambor. So solid in this, because he's not playing. He's kind of playing against type. He is a business guy. And I don't think he is an idiot, though. He kind of comes off that way. But he's married to the eldest daughter, Allison. And I think he's definitely not in it for the money. He's in it because he loves Allison.

[20:47] J.J.: And all right. Now, yeah, absolutely. He's she took him in, you know, right. As he says later. Yeah, I think he's just happy to be there because he's played these sort of characters where it's not like he has no spine. But he does play the sort of, for lack of a better term, weak sort of characters where he's just this. But I wouldn't say that he's weak, either. I think he's just really a big hearted, nice guy. And that gets hard on his shoulders, unfortunately, gets exploited by Drew a little later.

[21:17] Olaf: Death doesn't physically appear in this movie until 30 minutes in.

[21:21] J.J.: Yeah, I know that, too, which we talk about three hours and it does it feel like three hours. Does it not?

[21:30] Olaf: It doesn't. It's just one of those movies that allows every scene to breathe.

[21:35] J.J.: Yeah. I don't feel like any scene really goes on longer than it needs to. And that's also a testament to the editing of the movie, because I think where this movie could have faltered is, well, we're going to cut a lot of this stuff because it might be dragging and we don't have to spend this much time, you know, with Brad Pitt looking at himself in the mirror and then going to the kitchen and then really enjoying the peanut butter. You know what I mean? Back then in the 90s, three hour movies weren't as popular. It's more common now for a movie to be over two and a half hours, almost three hours long. So I think now people wouldn't really blink an eye at it if they heard it was three hours.

[22:14] Olaf: Yeah. When Death shows up, Drew immediately hates this guy.

[22:19] J.J.: Well, because he's so good looking, because he feels threatened. It's the insecurity, right?

[22:24] Olaf: Yeah. Before Susan even shows up, you just get the sense that he's like, who's this guy? I don't like him.

[22:30] J.J.: Well, because in his mind, he's like, I'm the number one. I'm the number one, which means I should know everybody that he knows. I should know everything about Bill Parish in his life. We find out later that he's a mole for the other company and they're going to tear the business apart. He needs to control everything to make sure that he gets what he wants.

[22:53] Olaf: This Joe Black. This is an observation I made. They come into the dinner scene and they're like, well, who is this guy? Who is this guy? Anthony Hopkins' character, his delivery is so pedestrian. He's just like, yeah, this is his so and so. Just how he's communicating is so unlike his character because he's thrown off because he knows obviously. He's just found out that he's going to die and that this is death. He has to keep death interested for him to continue living for a little bit longer. He's processing a lot.

[23:36] J.J.: When they come into the dining room and they're like, who's this? He's not allowed to say who he is. Finally, he's just like, Joe. Joe what? Smith Jones. Black.

[24:06] Olaf: Let me ask you this because obviously, the business part of it is a big plot of the movie, but if you had days, you don't know how long. We don't know. He doesn't know how long he's going to be there. We don't know what day it's going to be when he gets taken. Would you spend time focusing on the business part of your work or would you just be like kick it to the wind? How would you spend your days? What would you say? What would you do if you knew you only had minutes, hours, maybe days to live?

[24:29] J.J.: That's hard to say, but basing it off of his character and his circumstances, it's clear that he cares about his legacy and he cares about this business that he built. If you only have so much time left to live, yeah, I think if Death hadn't shown up, maybe he would have done the merger and not realized that he was getting swindled, but I think that's why he decided at the last minute, I don't want to do it. He felt like that would be enough, like it's going to be okay, that's going to be enough. As we come to find, Drew clearly has a goal, which is to get this merger done.

[25:12] J.J.: You really, he falls into this Jamaican accent flawlessly. He would've to say he probably practiced, he had a dialect coach the whole thing, but his performance with her in both scenes, the dynamic is different in both scenes, but I really feel that she's elevating his work quite a bit.

[25:42] Olaf: Sure, yeah, because she's so locked in to what she's wanting as a character and what's going on.

[26:12] J.J.: No, it's beautiful. And then after that scene, that's when he's like, I shouldn't be here. There might be other people that recognize me, right? And that'll get equally uncomfortable, and that'll be a whole thing.

[26:42] Olaf: Yeah, we'll go back to where his first night in the penthouse suite mansion skyscraper. He meets up with Claire Ferlani at the pool, and she's like, I don't know what's going on. You're acting weird. You were awesome at the coffee shop, and now you're not. And he's like, well, sometimes I'm just not always myself. I'm wrapped up in what I need to do that I can't focus on what's in front of me, which she can clearly relate to because she's a doctor.

[27:01] J.J.: So he somehow manages to connect with her accidentally because he doesn't know, and he didn't know that the body he took had met with Susan.

[27:13] Olaf: Yeah, and so you have to think, did he make the accident happen?

[27:20] J.J.: Yes, because he even says, he's like, I needed a body, Bill.

[27:26] Olaf: Yes, but I think he made the accident happen because he needed a body. I don't think he was like watching this guy and him interacting with Susan at the coffee shop because he clearly doesn't know what went on at the coffee shop. And when she shows up for dinner, he doesn't know who she is.

[27:49] J.J.: He doesn't know who she is, so you're like maybe Brad Pitt's in the middle of the street, and Death's like, this is a good opportunity to just, here's a guy just standing in the street. I need a body.

[28:01] Olaf: I'm willing to buy that because you're right. How would he not know who she is from the coffee shop? But clearly he...

[28:11] J.J.: I'm good with that. So throughout this movie, it's just a lot of character development and romance development between Death and Susan. Then we have the business side of things falling apart. Drew has taken over the board and voted William Parrish out because he didn't want to do the merger.

[28:30] Olaf: And we're also getting ready for his birthday party, which he could care less about. But there's this moment right after he's lost everything, and he's in his office, and he just seems so defeated and sad. And he gets Death some food, and it's a cold lamb sandwich. And Death's like, this is delicious. And he's like, oh, you like that? And we learn about his deceased wife and how she used to make cold lamb sandwiches. And just him talking about that, and then you got Thomas Newman's cold lamb sandwich theme playing underneath it because that's what it's called, cold lamb sandwich. And it's so beautiful, and you really feel for him. He's such a sweet guy.

[29:17] J.J.: Yes.

[29:19] Olaf: What they're able to do and what we are able to embrace is, you're right, you mentioned all of these things that are going on, all of these characters that may not be romantic. It's Death, all this other stuff, and then they bring you back to the core of the movie, which is love and those feelings. And this is the only time I think where we hear him talk about his wife, and it's not even that long. He doesn't tell a huge story. It's wonderful, it's impactful, and it reinforces the whole theme of the movie.

[30:01] J.J.: So throughout the movie, Susan and Death fall for each other, and Bill Parrish is really not happy about that, rightly so. And then we get to the last 30 minutes, the last 45 minutes before we jump to what is the final act of the movie when they're eating dinner again because now that he knows he's on borrowed time, he wants to have dinner with his family just about every night now. And you're right, the party is the last thing on his mind.

[30:35] Olaf: And Allison's character, Marsha Gay Harden, who's wonderful in this movie too, probably gets the least amount to do because her singular focus is just planning this party. But her planning this party is an extension of her love for her father that she may or may not be getting completely reciprocated by her father, not because he doesn't love her, but it's just the way their relationship is. And everything she does is for him. She brings out all of these cakes for dinner, and he doesn't care about the cakes. This is trivial compared to everything that's going on, but it's not trivial to her.

[31:19] J.J.: And the way he's able to realize that, not only realize that, but then you get this moment, he chooses the cake. The Thomas Newman score, it's wonderful. But you get this shot of Brad Pitt who's getting to see this exchange. It's not just about the merger, and I get to hang out with Bill all day at the office, but it's these moments that make Bill Parrish more human, which to me makes it harder for Death down the road, and it makes Death want what he has. I want what you have. What you have is amazing. How can I get that?

[32:02] Olaf: I had to mention that because you're right, the whole last act of this movie, which is like the last 45 almost 50 minutes of this movie, I just watched it, and I want to say maybe it's like 40-45 minutes of the end of the movie is just an emotional onslaught of joy and sadness and love and romance. It's a lot.

[32:27] J.J.: It is.

[32:29] Olaf: It is a lot because we show up, and you see Quince who is just so, so sad, and he feels responsible for Bill Parrish losing his business and being voted out. And we get to learn through him talking to Death, which I love, how he goes, he says to Death, you like me, don't you? And he goes, oh yes, Quince, you're one of my favorites.

[33:00] J.J.: What does that mean? You're going to take me, or do I get to stay here for a little bit longer?

[33:02] Olaf: Well, you can tell he's always just like, hey Quince, Quince makes him happy. He amuses him, and I don't know if that's on how a pet amuses an owner or what. I don't know. It's a nice little moment where he talks about how he loves his wife, how he says that she knows the worst thing about me, and it doesn't matter because Death asks how do you know. And that's one of my favorite quotes of the movie. You know the worst thing about the other person, and it's okay, which allows you to love them even more and really love that person unconditionally and with everything you have, which is basically telling Death without knowing that he's Death, just tell her, tell Susan.

[34:56] J.J.: Yeah, so we're on the island getting ready for the party. Everybody's in tuxes, and he goes down and he sees Susan, and he thinks that, wow, I love her, and she loves me. And he's saying that they have to go, that he's leaving.

[35:14] Olaf: Yeah, his time is, his business with Bill is concluding.

[35:16] J.J.: Yeah, so she's like, I'll come with you. So then he goes back to Bill and says, I'm taking your daughter with me, and he's like, absolutely not. That was not part of the deal.

[35:26] Olaf: And it's such a great scene too because he's standing up to Death at this point. He's like, I don't care what you think anymore. Are you threatening me?

[35:34] J.J.: Yeah.

[35:36] Olaf: Yeah. Here's the observation I made with this scene. At the beginning, he's telling his daughter, and you mentioned it already, be bold, take risks, passion, live in the moment. If you want it, go after it. And in this moment, it's like you want to do all these things. However, she doesn't know who you are, and you're not accepting responsibility for these things, which is key. And part of me thinks that he does this on purpose when he yells at Death, and he's like, you're not taking my daughter. She has a life ahead of her and all of that stuff. And Death does not like this, so he's getting ready to storm out and not listen. And Anthony Hopkins is just suddenly like, oh well, I tried my best, but why don't you tell her who you are? Put all the cards on the table. Let the chips fall where they may. And it's just this very much like, it almost seems like he's doing this reverse psychology kind of thing on him.

[36:42] J.J.: Well, because he also says, you already know this or you wouldn't come in here and tell me. He says that as he's storming. You already know all this or you wouldn't be in here asking for my permission, asking me for my permission. A part of you that doesn't truly believe that this is a good idea.

[37:00] Olaf: But you're right, he has nothing to lose. You're right, he's like, tell her, see what happens. How can you say she loves you if she doesn't know who you are? So that's when we move to the first part of, we're going to open up the pipes for Niagara Falls. We're going to give you a little taste. We haven't opened it up full stream yet. And he goes back to Susan, and they have this moment, not a lot of dialogue. So much is said just between the two of them. It's a beautiful scene of basically him telling her and showing her who he is without saying anything. It is something else, and you have the Thomas Newman score playing during that, and it's like, oh gosh.

[37:49] J.J. Gonzalez: Well, because even Bill says it she was, she's in love with the guy at the coffee shop. Yeah, that's what everything she's feeling. She's basing it off of that. Yeah, and then it's reinforced when she says that would you remember? Yeah. Yeah coffee. She's like the coffee shop, right? But then he says he's like, I promise you'll always have what you had at the coffee shop.

[38:19] Olaf: There is a moment that's done really well by Claire Forlani of realizing he's not the guy at the coffee shop.

[38:24] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, not only realizing that he's not the guy at the coffee shop, but like then who are you?

[38:29] Olaf: Yeah, learning that it's somebody else and then we're left to guess that she learns exactly who he is, right? It's just an incredible performance.

[38:37] J.J. Gonzalez: Because I agree, just a close-up on her the whole time and you're just like wow, it's a lot.

[38:42] Olaf: Yeah, and then we get a break. We get a quick little break.

[39:01] J.J. Gonzalez: We do where we get some sweet satisfaction and a little comedy they get Drew to come to the island and Anthony Hopkins just wanted him to show up and give him a piece of his mind and he was gonna have the board on the phone so they could hear it too. And maybe they changed their mind. Maybe they wouldn't right? He just wanted to set the record straight.

[39:17] Olaf: But then he does show up and right before they get to that Joe Black intervenes.

[39:22] J.J. Gonzalez: He's gonna reveal to Drew who he is.

[39:26] Olaf: Yeah, it's such a great scene because throughout the whole movie Drew's like who is this guy, right? And it's done very well. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie from a levity standpoint from, let's get like you said, have a break from the sort of heavy emotional stuff.

[39:42] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, you get to see the two of them kind of work together as a team because prior to that they're not really working together as a team. Anthony Hopkins has to have Brad Pitt around because Brad Pitt's making him do that.

[39:54] Olaf: Yeah, but this is a for a very brief moment you get to see them work together to save the company from the merger and from which is funny because Anthony Hopkins didn't know about this plan either. So even he's taken off-guard when Brad Pitt says I am an agent, an agent of the Internal Revenue Service.

[40:18] J.J. Gonzalez: Death and taxes, Bill Parrish gets his company back. They fired Drew pretty much from here on it's just open the valves.

[40:25] Olaf: Niagara Falls.

[40:28] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah for the rest of the movie. It is.

[40:35] Olaf: Yeah, something else because we go right into Anthony Hopkins being escorted down to the stage with a giant cake.

[40:40] J.J. Gonzalez: Hey, look at all the people that are there.

[40:42] Olaf: Yeah, and he blows out the candle and again I could listen to him read a dictionary and be completely taken in by it.

[40:51] J.J. Gonzalez: Hey this speech he gives is so short, but so right, beautiful.

[40:57] Olaf: Oh gosh, what makes it work is that if you are open to everything leading up to this and everything leading up to it has worked for the most part then this speech even though it's really short because it isn't, you're right, it's not that long. It works even more than it should.

[41:12] J.J. Gonzalez: So there's not a lot really to it. It would have probably been not as good in lesser hands but like you've mentioned a few times already, it's Anthony Hopkins, there's an eloquence to it. There's a simplicity to it. He knows this is his final speech, you know.

[41:28] Olaf: I see all these faces and all these faces have memories maybe not always good memories. We've had our ups and downs but you're mine for the night and he gives a little wink. He's acknowledging people.

[41:40] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, and then he's like the last thing he says is 65 years, don't they go by in a blink and he's like, all right, I'm done, I'm out and then we get the, he hugs Allison. He hugs his oldest daughter. So they get one moment.

[41:57] Olaf: Well, they had a great moment, you're right earlier, but just before the party started where I really gets to shine and talk about how you know, she knows that Susan's a favorite but that's okay because he's always been hers.

[42:10] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, you were mine.

[42:12] Olaf: Yeah, but so they do get that one moment and then he goes to see Susan and he's like you get to see a smile like a genuine smile on his face probably for the first time in the whole movie.

[42:23] J.J. Gonzalez: Oh, he's had a few but not, but this is more, this one feels freer.

[42:29] Olaf: Yes.

[42:33] J.J. Gonzalez: Yes, he almost seems a little younger.

[42:37] Olaf: Yeah, like I'm having a, I'm having such a great time or I've been a hell of a time part of that might just be because he's trying to keep her happy, but this moment, oh boy.

[42:42] J.J. Gonzalez: Because she realizes that he is also leaving.

[42:46] Olaf: Yes, everything from this moment to the end like you said after the what you know before the speech but even the speech you're kind of like it's like this calm before the waterworks storm.

[42:57] J.J. Gonzalez: The moment that he has with Susan he reiterates like I need you to know you gave me a love that I didn't think I deserved, you know.

[43:08] Olaf: And because the music is the band, the big band is playing. She's like basically yells, I love you daddy.

[43:16] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, and he says that's what makes it okay.

[43:21] Olaf: Whoa.

[43:23] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, and it cuts to Brad Pitt because he's way off in the field like he's waiting.

[43:27] Olaf: Yeah, well he's been watching this whole thing, right? He's already said his goodbye. So now he's just gonna sit back let Anthony Hopkins have this time, which is wonderful.

[43:36] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, the dance that they, the two of them have is just right.

[43:40] Olaf: Yeah, and then when the fireworks start going off and she's like, oh, let's go down and watch and he's like I'm gonna catch my breath you go ahead and she knows exactly what's happening.

[43:51] J.J. Gonzalez: Yes, I put in my notes Susan knows, like she knows.

[43:55] Olaf: How do you process that? I mean, it's a movie, right? It's a movie, I get it, but I mean everything that he had just said to her is fresh in her mind so that has to help to an extent to process a little bit.

[44:09] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, this shot of her seeing, well, so he goes up there, he goes up there the fireworks are going off, Brad Pitt, death is crying.

[44:23] Olaf: Yeah, he's emotionally involved because he loves Susan.

[44:26] J.J. Gonzalez: He's loved his time on this planet because he's so, he says earlier he's like he's very alone and that's why he wants Susan, like he wants her to come with him now.

[44:37] Olaf: It's just the two of them and Anthony Hopkins like thank you for what you did for my daughter and Brad Pitt's like thank you for being you and all this and he's like don't blow smoke up my ass, you'll ruin my autopsy.

[44:52] J.J. Gonzalez: Beautiful, beautiful.

[44:53] Olaf: And then ah, it's just so one-two punch after that because another of my favorite lines in this, they just stand there for a few minutes just watching the fireworks and taking it all in and Anthony Hopkins looks over and just says it's hard to let go, isn't it?

[45:10] J.J. Gonzalez: And Joe Black says yes, it is and then William Parrish says it's just so good. He's like and that's life, what can I tell you?

[45:17] Olaf: Oh, that's it and the music kicks in, another firework I think goes off, the music has just been killing it this whole time.

[45:29] J.J. Gonzalez: It's just playing through all of this and you're just like, oh my right, the heart strings.

[45:35] Olaf: He delivers that line. It's perfect.

[45:38] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, that is right. It's like my favorite line in the movie.

[45:42] Olaf: It's not because it's the line is that like deep or anything, it's just the way it's delivered, the way its impact, the way it's reinforced with everything going on and then Anthony Hopkins makes a move like are we gonna go?

[45:56] J.J. Gonzalez: Right.

[45:58] Olaf: Yeah, they start to walk away then they stop and Anthony says should I be afraid and then Brad Pitt just looks at him and goes not a man like you.

[46:05] J.J. Gonzalez: Oh yeah, yeah.

[46:07] Olaf: Kick in the music and then he smiles and they walk up and Susan sees them walking up and they're silhouetted. That's a great shot of this bridge and oh my gosh.

[46:19] J.J. Gonzalez: Oh, and then she starts running up there.

[46:23] Olaf: They disappear over the bridge and then you see her stop because a moment later Brad Pitt comes back up.

[46:29] J.J. Gonzalez: You forget something?

[46:34] Olaf: She's just kind of curious looking at him and you can tell he seems lost now, right? And that's when we realize this isn't death, this is the guy in the coffee shop.

[46:49] J.J. Gonzalez: Guy at the coffee shop and you're like, yeah, right the first time you see you're like, oh, okay sweet, I for me I was like this is great she gets her happy ending because death loves her and brought that guy back and he comes down and he's just like I don't know.

[47:01] Olaf: I mean we were at the coffee shop and now I'm here in a tux.

[47:07] J.J. Gonzalez: Yeah, seems like a hell of a party and then she's realizing oh this is the guy in the coffee shop, right?

[47:14] Olaf: And she says I wish you'd known my father.

[47:18] J.J. Gonzalez: Me too.

[47:22] Olaf: You can tell she's so happy and sad and there's all these emotions going on. She's doing such a great job. And then yeah, then she goes, what do we do now? And he says it'll come to us.

[47:30] J.J. Gonzalez: Wow, and if you're not paying attention, I guess she delivers. She does deliver that line to death, you know, two-thirds of the way into the movie.

[47:38] Olaf: So it's nice to call that back.

[47:41] J.J. Gonzalez: My only thing was okay when they walk back into the party, Allison Quinn's all these people gonna be like, hey Joe?

[47:50] Olaf: Well, we don't know what his name is and we never will and I don't care because of course not I'm just like they're gonna have the best life together and be super happy.

[48:01] J.J. Gonzalez: Though the final shot of this movie tip, you know, he puts his hand out, she takes it and they just sort of walk into the fireworks again that shot, beautiful.

[48:10] Olaf: Wells, it's yeah, this movie is I feel does not get a lot of attention.

[48:17] J.J. Gonzalez: No, I don't think so, which is unfortunate because I would say this is almost a forgotten gem.

[48:23] Olaf: Almost, I don't think it gets talked to enough about, I don't think it gets enough recognition. Clearly the critics don't care for it, but it's a beautiful, beautiful movie.

[48:33] J.J. Gonzalez: I think I agree and for Martin Brest like you mentioned Beverly Hills Cop and then Midnight Run and then he did Scent of a Woman, which is I love Scent of a Woman.

[48:42] Olaf: Oh, I love them all but this I guess it from a genre standpoint is the closest thing to this I guess because it's not, I run, it's not Beverly Hills, it's more of a dramatic film.

[48:51] J.J. Gonzalez: The Scent of a Woman does have those tones to it.

[48:55] Olaf: Yeah, not enough great things to say about this movie. If you haven't seen it, you gotta check it out.

[49:01] J.J. Gonzalez: No, we always, if you haven't seen it and really if you haven't find it, you won't be disappointed. It's a fantastic movie.

[49:09] Olaf: It still holds up. It doesn't rely on any modern technology.

[49:14] J.J. Gonzalez: It's a completely character-driven movie from top to bottom.

[49:19] Olaf: Yeah, that's Meet Joe Black everybody. It is my favorite, it's one of J.J.'s favorites.

[49:26] J.J. Gonzalez: Absolutely, but that is it for us tonight, and we hope you guys enjoy your holiday.

[49:36] Olaf: Wherever you sit on the fence, you know, love is love, lead with it and we'll see you guys next time until then to be continued.

[49:49] J.J. Gonzalez: You.

[49:54] Johnny Clay: Back to the Movie Theater is hosted by J.J. Gonzalez and Olaf at Sit, produced by me, Johnny Clay.

[50:01] J.J. Gonzalez: Theme song incidental music by The Dimes.

[50:07] Johnny Clay: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Back to the Movie Theater and find us on YouTube at Back to the Movie Theater with J.J. and Olaf.

[50:15] J.J. Gonzalez: You.