Meet Joe Black: The Film That Shaped My Teenage Years
To understand my connection to Meet Joe Black, you first need to understand my connection to Jim Carrey. Picture this: 1994, Cyprus. I’m 12, navigating early adolescence on a Mediterranean island, trying to figure out who I was. My dad brings home a bootleg copy of The Mask – the only kind available. I watched it, expecting little, and it blew my mind. I rewatched it maybe 30 or 40 times that summer, memorizing every line, which I repeated. Constantly.
Author Chad Hartigan, reflecting on his adolescent Jim Carrey obsession
At school, I became “that kid,” shouting Carrey lines like “Smmmooookin’!” or “P-A-R-T-why? Because I gottaaaa!” Embarrassing now, yes, but it worked on other 12-year-olds. I got laughs. It defined me. My Jim Carrey impression was legendary (in my own mind). When Dumb and Dumber followed, it intensified. “We got no food, we got no jobs, our pets’ heads are falling off!” became my mantra. Being loud, obnoxious, and idiotic was my identity, with Jim as my idol, my guide through the dawn of adulthood. I thought I’d found myself, but I was just imitating someone else.
This obsession lasted for years. I kept a scrapbook filled with his magazine features. I consumed Batman Forever, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Cable Guy – everything. Moving to the U.S. in 1995 offered a clean slate, a chance to reinvent myself. No one knew my European past. Yet, I clung to the Carrey schtick, even as its charm faded with new friends. Eventually, I found acceptance in the theatre department, where my brand of manic goofiness was welcomed on stage.
Adolescence, a Crush, and the Need for Change
Fast forward to 1998. I’m 16, still deep in my life of buffoonery, but now utterly derailed by a crush. She was a year older, driven, serious about school and her art (dreaming of animation, a dream she achieved at Pixar). My antics, like talking out of my ass imitating movie characters, did not impress her. We were in the same friend group, and while I could sometimes make her laugh with genuine wit, I’d often ruin it with immature jokes. We remained just friends. I knew she didn’t see me the way I saw her, but I sensed a possibility, maybe born of naïveté or hubris. It felt like something could happen if I just did something. To borrow a line from an angel stripper in a film released earlier that year, one of my all-time favorite masterpieces: “There is fate, but it only takes you so far because once you’re there it’s up to you to make it happen.”
An Unexpected Encounter with Meet Joe Black
January 31, 1999. Meet Joe Black had already faded from theaters, largely dismissed by critics and audiences, and completely off my radar. I was busy rewatching films like A Night at the Roxbury and Urban Legend. Then, the girl I liked invited me and our friend Bethany to a double feature at the Norfolk Army base theater. For about $3, we saw A Bug’s Life (again), but staying for Meet Joe Black was free. Why not? As Martin Brest’s three-hour-plus film unfolded, my life genuinely changed. And not just because, at some point, the girl, bored and tired, rested her head on my shoulder – an innocent gesture that felt seismic, perhaps still unequaled in my romantic experiences.
The Turning Point: A Head on the Shoulder
For those unfamiliar, Meet Joe Black centers on Death personified, taking human form for a few weeks to experience life. He strikes a deal with tycoon Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins): Bill acts as his guide, and Death delays Bill’s demise. It’s a clever setup, as Parrish lives in utter luxury. Death further stacks the deck by inhabiting the body of Brad Pitt. Unsurprisingly, Parrish’s daughter, Susan (Claire Forlani), falls for him. The film uses this premise to explore everything from the simple taste of peanut butter to complex sibling dynamics and the profound meanings of love and life. To a 16-year-old grappling with these concepts, with the object of his affection resting on his shoulder, it resonated deeply. That first moment of intimate contact coinciding with a film suggesting true love involves prioritizing another’s feelings above your own had an enormous impact.
Lessons from Death: The Power of Listening
More immediately impactful, though, was Pitt’s portrayal of Death. He plays the character as a quiet observer, a being of few words. This is often criticized – some find him catatonic – but it’s a clear, consistent choice. Susan constantly probes him about his life, his past, and he simply doesn’t answer, often deflecting with another question. This was a revelation. Maybe the key to getting girls to like me wasn’t constant noise, but shutting my dumb mouth. So, I did. No more Jim Carrey. No more desperate bids for attention. Weeks later, sitting in my parents’ van outside her house, she cried about not getting a part in the school play. After an hour of listening to her vent, she hugged me tightly and said, “You’re such a good listener.” That was the turning point. We started dating soon after. It might sound glib, but Meet Joe Black inadvertently nudged me toward maturity. You don’t truly learn until you truly listen – a philosophy extending beyond teenage romance to my writing and directing today.
Defending Meet Joe Black: More Than Just Nostalgia
I’ve probably seen Meet Joe Black 30 more times since and will defend its status as a genuinely great film, independent of my personal history with it. Its slow pace is almost universally criticized, but I find it hypnotic and fitting for a film emphasizing the preciousness of time. Brad Pitt described the filmmaking process as a symphony, with Martin Brest conducting, bringing different elements to the forefront at precise moments. I agree. Brest allows himself the freedom to explore narrative tangents and develop secondary characters, like the textured relationship between Jeffrey Tambor and Marcia Gay Harden, which contrasts beautifully with the central innocent romance. This approach heavily influences my own storytelling.
Artistic Merits: Pace, Performances, and Craftsmanship
Technically, the film is outstanding. Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography here is, in my view, his best work ever. Long before his signature camera showmanship, he demonstrated mastery of lighting and composition. Tasteful interior lighting is incredibly difficult, and Meet Joe Black ranks among the all-time greats in this respect. Dante Ferretti’s production design is equally brilliant, transforming the Aldrich Mansion into a space that feels like both a fairy-tale castle and a tomb. Thomas Newman’s score embodies elegance and class. Excellence permeates every technical aspect. The film’s beating heart, however, is Anthony Hopkins. A true giant of acting, he delivers one of his finest performances, masterfully juggling the frustration, fear, and ultimate dignity of a man facing his mortality.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I don’t need to defend Meet Joe Black solely on its artistic merits. It achieved something few films do: it burrowed deep into my mind and heart, fundamentally shifting my perspective on the world. It provided a crucial lesson in listening and maturity at a formative moment. While my story might seem like a shallow anecdote, I genuinely believe that if more 16-year-olds could accidentally stumble upon films like Meet Joe Black, films that encourage reflection on life, love, and empathy, the world might just be a better place.
