Meet Joe Black: One of my top 5

I watch this film whenever I see it's scheduled. The first time my husband and I watched it, I wanted to see if it was similar to the 1930's "Death Takes a Holiday" with Fredric March in the role of Death taking human form and falling in love with the daughter of a wealthy man.But with the exception of that one premise, any similarity ends there although they are both excellent, well-scripted movies. "Joe Black" is not a tearjerker, yet there are scenarios throughout that will bring you to tears till the very end which has me weeping soundly no matter how many times I watch it. Joe's visit to a hospital to visit Anthony Hopkin's daughter, a physician, is one of those scenes when an old Jamaican lady in severe pain due to a terminal illness "recognizes" Joe as Death and yells out to him, asking him if he is here to take her. The daughter looks on in awe as Joe speaks to her in her native tongue, relieves her pain and fear and leaves her noticeably in great peace. There is plenty of humor interwoven as we watch a Being whose contact with humans has previously been apparently as an objective observer, presumably brief at the end of life before he takes them out of their earthly existence. He is curious he tells Bill (Anthony Hopkins) and wants to know why people hold on to life so dearly. He wants to understand why Bill will care what happens to the family business he has created after he dies. Joe Black comes to this world a "tabula rasa" as an adult and alleged "old friend" of Bill's, yet his reactions to such mundane aspects of life as food, drink, humor, money, and then the more complex emotions of love and compassion are alternately humorous, engaging, intriguing, and finally deeply moving. Brad Pitt shows a depth of acting ability that reveals a great degree of growth. Anthony Hopkins gives his expected 110% as do all of the supporting cast members. I was disappointed to see that it was not rated as highly as I believe it should be, but it is not a film that would appeal to the age group that most producers cater to, which is the 10-18 year olds give or take a few years; it lacks great special effects,scantily clad young women, loud background music, gratuitous violence and graphic torture scenes, car chases with explosions and lots of exotic weaponry; and in most cases, a standard recipe where any old plot is built around the kind of danger where all blacks, adversaries, nice old men and old women, and helpful law enforcement characters die with the exception of the handsome hero and his beautiful love interest. No, Meet Joe Black has none of the above, but I will continue to watch it again and again because it has so much more than the average "blockbuster" film of late. I give it the highest marks in all areas.
FYI: some of my other "watch over and over" films include:

Tootsie
The Warriors (1980)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Blues Brothers
The Fisher King
Sophies Choice
Reservoir Dogs