Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004 Comedy Drama

The second feature from director Michel Gondry (Human Nature) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for this off-the-wall romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure performed by Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). Not to be outdone, Joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. As Mierzwiak's bumbling underlings Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood) perform the operation on Joel -- over the course of an evening, in his apartment -- Joel struggles in his own mind to save the memories of Clementine from being deleted. Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, and Jane Adams also star.

Director: Michel Gondry

Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet,Kirsten Dunst,Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood

Reviews

  • Watching Eternal Sunshine, you don't just watch a love story -- you fall in love with what love really is.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    11 May 2013

  • One of those rare collaborations that artists dream of, and that film lovers crave.

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    11 May 2013

  • Not only (Kaufman's) most accessible and romantic screenplay, it's his most complete. The third act works like a charm and pulls all his themes, characters and conflicts together beautifully.

    Kirk Honeycutt - The Hollywood Reporter

    11 May 2013

  • A complicated story that demands your full attention; Mr. Gondry unfolds it at a mind-bending pace. This alone makes it a hugely refreshing respite from ordinary multiplex fare.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    11 May 2013

  • A thoughtful, audacious meditation on love and relationships that finds a group of wildly disparate talents clicking together in perfect unison.

    Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald

    11 May 2013

Awards

  • Movie of the Year

    AFI Awards (2005)

  • Best Writing, Original Screenplay

    Academy Awards (2005)

  • Best DVD Special Edition Release

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2006)

     
  • Best Edited Feature Film - Comedy or Musical

    American Cinema Editors (2005)

     
  • Contemporary Film

    Art Directors Guild (2005)