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Martin Brest "Midnight Run" 1988 - Bobbie Wygant Archive
For more interviews and stories go to www.bobbiewygant.com
published: 06 Sep 2020
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Behind The Scenes of Midnight Run (1988)
Behind-the-Scenes Footage, featuring interview snippets with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Richard Foronjy, Robert Miranda, Martin Brest and George Gallo.
published: 12 May 2017
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Scent of a Woman/Best scene/Martin Brest/Al Pacino/ Frank Slade/Chris O'Donnell/Charlie Simms
Charlie Simms is a student at the Baird School, an exclusive New England prep school. Unlike most of his peers, Charlie was not born into a wealthy family, and attends the school on a scholarship. To pay for a flight home to Oregon for Christmas, Charlie accepts a temporary job over Thanksgiving weekend looking after retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, whom Charlie discovers to be a cantankerous, blind alcoholic.
Charlie and George Willis, Jr., another student at the Baird School, witness three students setting up a prank that publicly humiliates the headmaster, Mr. Trask. Incensed over the prank, Trask quickly learns of the two student witnesses and presses Charlie and George to divulge the names of the perpetrators. Once George has left the office, Trask offers Charlie a...
published: 08 Feb 2019
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Meet Joe Black/Best scene/Martin Brest/Brad Pitt/Claire Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is ...
published: 12 Feb 2019
-
Martin Brest’s Best Movies - A Ranking Of The Directors Entire Filmography
Video And Additional Data From Cinema Dailies Article: https://www.cinemadailies.com/ranking-all-of-director-martin-brests-movies/
We took all of the movies directed by Martin Brest and looked at his Rotten Tomato Critic, Rotten Tomato User, Metacritic, Metacritic User, IMDB, and Letterboxd scores, ranking them against one another to see which movies came out on top. The movies are ranked in our list below based on which movies have the highest overall score between all 6 review sites in comparison with all of the other movies by the same director.
The List:
#7 - Hot Tomorrows
#6 - Gigli
#4 (Tie) - Meet Joe Black
#4 (Tie) - Going in Style
#3 - Beverly Hills Cop
#2 - Scent of a Woman
#1 - Midnight Run
published: 07 Mar 2020
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Meet Joe Black/Best scene/ Martin Brest/Brad Pitt/Anthony Hopkins/Claire Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is ...
published: 12 Feb 2019
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La tóxica (REMIX) - Farruko |Martín Brest Zumba|
published: 31 Jan 2021
7:26
Behind The Scenes of Midnight Run (1988)
Behind-the-Scenes Footage, featuring interview snippets with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Richard Foronjy, Robert M...
Behind-the-Scenes Footage, featuring interview snippets with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Richard Foronjy, Robert Miranda, Martin Brest and George Gallo.
https://wn.com/Behind_The_Scenes_Of_Midnight_Run_(1988)
Behind-the-Scenes Footage, featuring interview snippets with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Richard Foronjy, Robert Miranda, Martin Brest and George Gallo.
- published: 12 May 2017
- views: 68231
1:31
Scent of a Woman/Best scene/Martin Brest/Al Pacino/ Frank Slade/Chris O'Donnell/Charlie Simms
Charlie Simms is a student at the Baird School, an exclusive New England prep school. Unlike most of his peers, Charlie was not born into a wealthy family, and ...
Charlie Simms is a student at the Baird School, an exclusive New England prep school. Unlike most of his peers, Charlie was not born into a wealthy family, and attends the school on a scholarship. To pay for a flight home to Oregon for Christmas, Charlie accepts a temporary job over Thanksgiving weekend looking after retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, whom Charlie discovers to be a cantankerous, blind alcoholic.
Charlie and George Willis, Jr., another student at the Baird School, witness three students setting up a prank that publicly humiliates the headmaster, Mr. Trask. Incensed over the prank, Trask quickly learns of the two student witnesses and presses Charlie and George to divulge the names of the perpetrators. Once George has left the office, Trask offers Charlie a bribe: a letter of recommendation that would virtually guarantee his acceptance to Harvard. Charlie remains silent, but is conflicted about what to do.
Shortly after Charlie arrives, Frank unexpectedly whisks Charlie off on a trip to New York City. Frank reserves a room at the Waldorf-Astoria. During dinner at the Oak Room, Frank glibly states the goals of the trip, which involve enjoying luxurious accommodations in New York before committing suicide. Charlie is taken aback and does not know if Frank is serious.
They pay an uninvited visit to Frank's brother's home in White Plains for Thanksgiving dinner. Frank is an unpleasant surprise for the family, as he deliberately provokes everyone and the night ends in acrimony. During this time, the cause of Frank's blindness is also revealed: he was juggling live hand grenades, showing off for a group of second lieutenants, and one of the grenades exploded.
As they return to New York City, Charlie tells Frank about his complications at school. Frank advises Charlie to inform on his classmates and go to Harvard, warning him that George will probably give in to the pressure to talk, and Charlie had better cash in before George does. Later at a restaurant, Frank is aware of Donna, a young woman waiting for her date. Although blind, Frank leads Donna in a spectacular tango ("Por una Cabeza") on the dance floor. That night, he hires a female escort.
Deeply despondent the next morning, Frank is initially uninterested in Charlie's proposals for something to do until he suggests they test drive a Ferrari Mondial t. Frank smooth-talks the initially-reluctant Ferrari dealership salesman into letting Charlie, who Frank says is his son, test-drive the car. Once on the road, Frank is unenthusiastic until Charlie allows him to drive, quickly getting the attention of a police officer. Once again being calm and charming in a potentially difficult situation, Frank talks the officer into letting them go without giving away his blindness.
When they return to the hotel, Frank sends Charlie out on a list of errands. Charlie initially leaves the room but quickly becomes suspicious. Charlie returns to find Frank in his full dress blues uniform, preparing to commit suicide with a pistol from which Charlie had made Frank promise to remove the bullets earlier. Frank simply says "I lied" as he loads the sidearm. Charlie intervenes and attempts to grab Frank's pistol. Frank, however, easily overpowers him, threatening to shoot Charlie before himself. They enter a tense fight, with both grappling for the gun; however, Frank backs down after Charlie bravely calms him. The two return to New England.
At school, Charlie and George are subjected to a formal inquiry in front of the entire student body and the student/faculty disciplinary committee. As Headmaster Trask is opening the proceedings, Frank unexpectedly returns to the school, joining Charlie on the auditorium stage for support. For his defense, George has enlisted the help of his wealthy father, using his poor vision as an excuse before naming all three of the perpetrators. When pressed for more details, George passes the burden to Charlie. Although struggling with his decision, Charlie gives no information, so Trask recommends Charlie's expulsion.
https://wn.com/Scent_Of_A_Woman_Best_Scene_Martin_Brest_Al_Pacino_Frank_Slade_Chris_O'Donnell_Charlie_Simms
Charlie Simms is a student at the Baird School, an exclusive New England prep school. Unlike most of his peers, Charlie was not born into a wealthy family, and attends the school on a scholarship. To pay for a flight home to Oregon for Christmas, Charlie accepts a temporary job over Thanksgiving weekend looking after retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, whom Charlie discovers to be a cantankerous, blind alcoholic.
Charlie and George Willis, Jr., another student at the Baird School, witness three students setting up a prank that publicly humiliates the headmaster, Mr. Trask. Incensed over the prank, Trask quickly learns of the two student witnesses and presses Charlie and George to divulge the names of the perpetrators. Once George has left the office, Trask offers Charlie a bribe: a letter of recommendation that would virtually guarantee his acceptance to Harvard. Charlie remains silent, but is conflicted about what to do.
Shortly after Charlie arrives, Frank unexpectedly whisks Charlie off on a trip to New York City. Frank reserves a room at the Waldorf-Astoria. During dinner at the Oak Room, Frank glibly states the goals of the trip, which involve enjoying luxurious accommodations in New York before committing suicide. Charlie is taken aback and does not know if Frank is serious.
They pay an uninvited visit to Frank's brother's home in White Plains for Thanksgiving dinner. Frank is an unpleasant surprise for the family, as he deliberately provokes everyone and the night ends in acrimony. During this time, the cause of Frank's blindness is also revealed: he was juggling live hand grenades, showing off for a group of second lieutenants, and one of the grenades exploded.
As they return to New York City, Charlie tells Frank about his complications at school. Frank advises Charlie to inform on his classmates and go to Harvard, warning him that George will probably give in to the pressure to talk, and Charlie had better cash in before George does. Later at a restaurant, Frank is aware of Donna, a young woman waiting for her date. Although blind, Frank leads Donna in a spectacular tango ("Por una Cabeza") on the dance floor. That night, he hires a female escort.
Deeply despondent the next morning, Frank is initially uninterested in Charlie's proposals for something to do until he suggests they test drive a Ferrari Mondial t. Frank smooth-talks the initially-reluctant Ferrari dealership salesman into letting Charlie, who Frank says is his son, test-drive the car. Once on the road, Frank is unenthusiastic until Charlie allows him to drive, quickly getting the attention of a police officer. Once again being calm and charming in a potentially difficult situation, Frank talks the officer into letting them go without giving away his blindness.
When they return to the hotel, Frank sends Charlie out on a list of errands. Charlie initially leaves the room but quickly becomes suspicious. Charlie returns to find Frank in his full dress blues uniform, preparing to commit suicide with a pistol from which Charlie had made Frank promise to remove the bullets earlier. Frank simply says "I lied" as he loads the sidearm. Charlie intervenes and attempts to grab Frank's pistol. Frank, however, easily overpowers him, threatening to shoot Charlie before himself. They enter a tense fight, with both grappling for the gun; however, Frank backs down after Charlie bravely calms him. The two return to New England.
At school, Charlie and George are subjected to a formal inquiry in front of the entire student body and the student/faculty disciplinary committee. As Headmaster Trask is opening the proceedings, Frank unexpectedly returns to the school, joining Charlie on the auditorium stage for support. For his defense, George has enlisted the help of his wealthy father, using his poor vision as an excuse before naming all three of the perpetrators. When pressed for more details, George passes the burden to Charlie. Although struggling with his decision, Charlie gives no information, so Trask recommends Charlie's expulsion.
- published: 08 Feb 2019
- views: 4090
4:05
Meet Joe Black/Best scene/Martin Brest/Brad Pitt/Claire Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an el...
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is enamored but parts without getting his name. Unbeknownst to her, the man is struck by multiple cars in a possibly fatal accident.
Death arrives at Bill's home in the uninjured body of the young man, explaining that Bill's impassioned speech has piqued his interest. Given Bill's "competence, experience, and wisdom", Death says that for as long as Bill will be his guide on Earth, Bill will not have to die. Making up a name on the spot, Death is introduced to the family as "Joe Black".
Bill's best efforts to navigate the next few days, knowing them now to be his last, fail to keep events from going rapidly out of his control. Drew is secretly conspiring with a man bidding for Parrish Communications. He capitalizes on Bill's strange behavior and unexplained reliance on Joe to convince the board of directors to vote Bill out as Chairman, using information given to him inadvertently by Bill's son-in-law, Quince, to push through approval for the merger which William had decided to oppose. Quince is devastated.
Susan is confused by the appearance of Joe, believing him to be the young man from the coffee shop, but eventually falls deeply in love with him. Joe is now under the influence of human desires and becomes attracted to her as well. After they make love, Joe asks Susan, "What do we do now?" She replies, "It'll come to us." Bill angrily confronts Joe about his relationship with his daughter, but Joe declares his intention to take Susan with him for his own.
As his last birthday arrives, Bill appeals to Joe to recognize the meaning of true love and all it encompasses, especially honesty and sacrifice. Joe comes to understand that he must set aside his own desire and allow Susan to live her life. He also helps Bill regain control of his company, exposing Drew's underhanded business dealings to the board by claiming to be an agent of the Internal Revenue Service and threatening to put Drew in jail.
At the party Bill makes his peace with his daughters. Susan tells Joe that she has loved him ever since that day in the coffee shop.
Joe realises that Susan loves the unknown man, not him, and the realization crushes him slightly. Mastering his emotions powerfully he balks at telling Susan who he really is, although she seems to intuit his true identity. Struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation, Susan cannot label Joe as Death. She says finally, "You're . . . you're Joe". He promises her "you will always have what you found in the coffee shop." On a hillock in the grounds above the party, Bill expresses trepidation, asking "Should I be afraid?" Joe replies "Not a man like you". Fireworks explode in the distance while Susan watches Joe and her father walk out of view.
Susan is stunned as "Joe" reappears alone, bewildered, this time as the young man from the coffee shop. He is uninjured and cannot account for how he got there. Susan accepts that her father is gone, and rekindles the romantic spark she had shared with the young man. "What do we do now?" she asks. "It'll come to us," Joe replies, as the two of them descend towards the twinkling lights of the party.
https://wn.com/Meet_Joe_Black_Best_Scene_Martin_Brest_Brad_Pitt_Claire_Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is enamored but parts without getting his name. Unbeknownst to her, the man is struck by multiple cars in a possibly fatal accident.
Death arrives at Bill's home in the uninjured body of the young man, explaining that Bill's impassioned speech has piqued his interest. Given Bill's "competence, experience, and wisdom", Death says that for as long as Bill will be his guide on Earth, Bill will not have to die. Making up a name on the spot, Death is introduced to the family as "Joe Black".
Bill's best efforts to navigate the next few days, knowing them now to be his last, fail to keep events from going rapidly out of his control. Drew is secretly conspiring with a man bidding for Parrish Communications. He capitalizes on Bill's strange behavior and unexplained reliance on Joe to convince the board of directors to vote Bill out as Chairman, using information given to him inadvertently by Bill's son-in-law, Quince, to push through approval for the merger which William had decided to oppose. Quince is devastated.
Susan is confused by the appearance of Joe, believing him to be the young man from the coffee shop, but eventually falls deeply in love with him. Joe is now under the influence of human desires and becomes attracted to her as well. After they make love, Joe asks Susan, "What do we do now?" She replies, "It'll come to us." Bill angrily confronts Joe about his relationship with his daughter, but Joe declares his intention to take Susan with him for his own.
As his last birthday arrives, Bill appeals to Joe to recognize the meaning of true love and all it encompasses, especially honesty and sacrifice. Joe comes to understand that he must set aside his own desire and allow Susan to live her life. He also helps Bill regain control of his company, exposing Drew's underhanded business dealings to the board by claiming to be an agent of the Internal Revenue Service and threatening to put Drew in jail.
At the party Bill makes his peace with his daughters. Susan tells Joe that she has loved him ever since that day in the coffee shop.
Joe realises that Susan loves the unknown man, not him, and the realization crushes him slightly. Mastering his emotions powerfully he balks at telling Susan who he really is, although she seems to intuit his true identity. Struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation, Susan cannot label Joe as Death. She says finally, "You're . . . you're Joe". He promises her "you will always have what you found in the coffee shop." On a hillock in the grounds above the party, Bill expresses trepidation, asking "Should I be afraid?" Joe replies "Not a man like you". Fireworks explode in the distance while Susan watches Joe and her father walk out of view.
Susan is stunned as "Joe" reappears alone, bewildered, this time as the young man from the coffee shop. He is uninjured and cannot account for how he got there. Susan accepts that her father is gone, and rekindles the romantic spark she had shared with the young man. "What do we do now?" she asks. "It'll come to us," Joe replies, as the two of them descend towards the twinkling lights of the party.
- published: 12 Feb 2019
- views: 57141
3:24
Martin Brest’s Best Movies - A Ranking Of The Directors Entire Filmography
Video And Additional Data From Cinema Dailies Article: https://www.cinemadailies.com/ranking-all-of-director-martin-brests-movies/
We took all of the movies di...
Video And Additional Data From Cinema Dailies Article: https://www.cinemadailies.com/ranking-all-of-director-martin-brests-movies/
We took all of the movies directed by Martin Brest and looked at his Rotten Tomato Critic, Rotten Tomato User, Metacritic, Metacritic User, IMDB, and Letterboxd scores, ranking them against one another to see which movies came out on top. The movies are ranked in our list below based on which movies have the highest overall score between all 6 review sites in comparison with all of the other movies by the same director.
The List:
#7 - Hot Tomorrows
#6 - Gigli
#4 (Tie) - Meet Joe Black
#4 (Tie) - Going in Style
#3 - Beverly Hills Cop
#2 - Scent of a Woman
#1 - Midnight Run
https://wn.com/Martin_Brest’S_Best_Movies_A_Ranking_Of_The_Directors_Entire_Filmography
Video And Additional Data From Cinema Dailies Article: https://www.cinemadailies.com/ranking-all-of-director-martin-brests-movies/
We took all of the movies directed by Martin Brest and looked at his Rotten Tomato Critic, Rotten Tomato User, Metacritic, Metacritic User, IMDB, and Letterboxd scores, ranking them against one another to see which movies came out on top. The movies are ranked in our list below based on which movies have the highest overall score between all 6 review sites in comparison with all of the other movies by the same director.
The List:
#7 - Hot Tomorrows
#6 - Gigli
#4 (Tie) - Meet Joe Black
#4 (Tie) - Going in Style
#3 - Beverly Hills Cop
#2 - Scent of a Woman
#1 - Midnight Run
- published: 07 Mar 2020
- views: 141
3:41
Meet Joe Black/Best scene/ Martin Brest/Brad Pitt/Anthony Hopkins/Claire Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an el...
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is enamored but parts without getting his name. Unbeknownst to her, the man is struck by multiple cars in a possibly fatal accident.
Death arrives at Bill's home in the uninjured body of the young man, explaining that Bill's impassioned speech has piqued his interest. Given Bill's "competence, experience, and wisdom", Death says that for as long as Bill will be his guide on Earth, Bill will not have to die. Making up a name on the spot, Death is introduced to the family as "Joe Black".
Bill's best efforts to navigate the next few days, knowing them now to be his last, fail to keep events from going rapidly out of his control. Drew is secretly conspiring with a man bidding for Parrish Communications. He capitalizes on Bill's strange behavior and unexplained reliance on Joe to convince the board of directors to vote Bill out as Chairman, using information given to him inadvertently by Bill's son-in-law, Quince, to push through approval for the merger which William had decided to oppose. Quince is devastated.
Susan is confused by the appearance of Joe, believing him to be the young man from the coffee shop, but eventually falls deeply in love with him. Joe is now under the influence of human desires and becomes attracted to her as well. After they make love, Joe asks Susan, "What do we do now?" She replies, "It'll come to us." Bill angrily confronts Joe about his relationship with his daughter, but Joe declares his intention to take Susan with him for his own.
As his last birthday arrives, Bill appeals to Joe to recognize the meaning of true love and all it encompasses, especially honesty and sacrifice. Joe comes to understand that he must set aside his own desire and allow Susan to live her life. He also helps Bill regain control of his company, exposing Drew's underhanded business dealings to the board by claiming to be an agent of the Internal Revenue Service and threatening to put Drew in jail.
At the party Bill makes his peace with his daughters. Susan tells Joe that she has loved him ever since that day in the coffee shop.
Joe realises that Susan loves the unknown man, not him, and the realization crushes him slightly. Mastering his emotions powerfully he balks at telling Susan who he really is, although she seems to intuit his true identity. Struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation, Susan cannot label Joe as Death. She says finally, "You're . . . you're Joe". He promises her "you will always have what you found in the coffee shop." On a hillock in the grounds above the party, Bill expresses trepidation, asking "Should I be afraid?" Joe replies "Not a man like you". Fireworks explode in the distance while Susan watches Joe and her father walk out of view.
Susan is stunned as "Joe" reappears alone, bewildered, this time as the young man from the coffee shop. He is uninjured and cannot account for how he got there. Susan accepts that her father is gone, and rekindles the romantic spark she had shared with the young man. "What do we do now?" she asks. "It'll come to us," Joe replies, as the two of them descend towards the twinkling lights of the party.
https://wn.com/Meet_Joe_Black_Best_Scene_Martin_Brest_Brad_Pitt_Anthony_Hopkins_Claire_Forlani
Billionaire media mogul Bill Parrish is considering a merger between his company and another media giant, and is about to celebrate his 65th birthday with an elaborate party planned by his eldest daughter, Allison. His youngest daughter, Susan, a resident in internal medicine, is in a relationship with one of Bill's board members, Drew. She is considering marriage, but Bill can tell she's not passionately in love. When she asks for the short version of his impassioned speech, he simply says, "Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike!" When their company helicopter lands, he begins to hear a mysterious voice, which he tries with increasing difficulty to ignore.
Susan meets a vibrant young man at a coffee shop. He takes an interest in her and tells her that lightning may strike. She is enamored but parts without getting his name. Unbeknownst to her, the man is struck by multiple cars in a possibly fatal accident.
Death arrives at Bill's home in the uninjured body of the young man, explaining that Bill's impassioned speech has piqued his interest. Given Bill's "competence, experience, and wisdom", Death says that for as long as Bill will be his guide on Earth, Bill will not have to die. Making up a name on the spot, Death is introduced to the family as "Joe Black".
Bill's best efforts to navigate the next few days, knowing them now to be his last, fail to keep events from going rapidly out of his control. Drew is secretly conspiring with a man bidding for Parrish Communications. He capitalizes on Bill's strange behavior and unexplained reliance on Joe to convince the board of directors to vote Bill out as Chairman, using information given to him inadvertently by Bill's son-in-law, Quince, to push through approval for the merger which William had decided to oppose. Quince is devastated.
Susan is confused by the appearance of Joe, believing him to be the young man from the coffee shop, but eventually falls deeply in love with him. Joe is now under the influence of human desires and becomes attracted to her as well. After they make love, Joe asks Susan, "What do we do now?" She replies, "It'll come to us." Bill angrily confronts Joe about his relationship with his daughter, but Joe declares his intention to take Susan with him for his own.
As his last birthday arrives, Bill appeals to Joe to recognize the meaning of true love and all it encompasses, especially honesty and sacrifice. Joe comes to understand that he must set aside his own desire and allow Susan to live her life. He also helps Bill regain control of his company, exposing Drew's underhanded business dealings to the board by claiming to be an agent of the Internal Revenue Service and threatening to put Drew in jail.
At the party Bill makes his peace with his daughters. Susan tells Joe that she has loved him ever since that day in the coffee shop.
Joe realises that Susan loves the unknown man, not him, and the realization crushes him slightly. Mastering his emotions powerfully he balks at telling Susan who he really is, although she seems to intuit his true identity. Struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation, Susan cannot label Joe as Death. She says finally, "You're . . . you're Joe". He promises her "you will always have what you found in the coffee shop." On a hillock in the grounds above the party, Bill expresses trepidation, asking "Should I be afraid?" Joe replies "Not a man like you". Fireworks explode in the distance while Susan watches Joe and her father walk out of view.
Susan is stunned as "Joe" reappears alone, bewildered, this time as the young man from the coffee shop. He is uninjured and cannot account for how he got there. Susan accepts that her father is gone, and rekindles the romantic spark she had shared with the young man. "What do we do now?" she asks. "It'll come to us," Joe replies, as the two of them descend towards the twinkling lights of the party.
- published: 12 Feb 2019
- views: 3098