Last lines... and The Coffeeshop ( Major Spoiler alert)
Spoilers------------------------------------------------------------
I was perusing the forums and I noticed that some were confused with the return of Joe at the last scene, saying it was not logical...or made little sense.
Some mentioned it through off the ending. And I finally realized why the end has just maybe been misunderstood by some.
I will review a few pertinent conversations.
Death is at the party, and he has finally revealed himself to Susan. He then says something along the lines " You know who I am. Who am I?" the way he did with her father in the beginning.
She shows a genuine fear of Death, or an inability to deal with the information. She says "you're Joe" he says " you will always have the one you found at the coffeeshop."
Fast foreward, to when she sees her father go over the hill with Death. The she chases, Death comes over the hill... apparently confused. She and he talk, and you see a look of disappointment on her face. It's palpable!
He says that something she said " stayed with him" that she said in the coffeeshop. " You said, you liked me" She corrects him. " No...I said..." I like you so much."
It's clear he never had that conversation because it was not addressed to him. This is not Joe from the coffeeshop. This is Death Pretending.
She catches on... and starts smiling. he seems to allow his " goofy joe" mask drop. Notice Brad Pitt's mannerisms. In the beginning he is " goofy Joe from the coffeeshop." but once she catches on, that it is Death, his demeanor changes, he becomes more serious... " What will we do now?" "It'll come to us." is now in a different context. He is Immortal, and the ferrymen to the next place. She is human, mortal, and he promised her father he would let her live a full life.
Then comes " we know so little about each other.." to which he replies." But we've got time." Which is what Death and she told one another earlier... he WAS a party to that conversation. To re-enforce in everyone's mind that this is in fact Death.
I find this scene to be subtle, and textured. One of the reasons i love it so much. Most directors would have had instead the following.
Susan: " OMG it's YOU death, pretending to be Joe.... because you want to be in my life, but you know I fear you ..so wow...you're making believe!!!"
Death: Yes!!! But you figured it out... why are you so happy??? don't you want Joe??"
10 more minutes of unnecessary exposition for the slow viewers....
etc etc... I know I didn't see it after viewing 1, or 3...but after the 4th it just jumped at me, and I do appreciate this little tid bit, something that just surprises me.
Someone asked on another thread about the " I wish you could have known my father." And for sometime I thought this meant she thought he was still Joe from the coffeeshop. But someone else posed the possibility that even though Death's relationship with her father was tempestuous, he never got to ' know" him for the Kind , loving, caring man he was...as both his daughters did. Once I thought about it, it all made perfect sense.
This ending is not what some think it is...it is not "Joe from the coffeeshop" returning...or even " some combination of both." It's Death.