Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Directed by

Michel Gondry

Genre

fantasy film, comedy drama, romantic comedy, science fiction film, melodrama

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 44m

Rated

R

Rating

8.1 of 10 from 16,461 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A couple signs up for a medical procedure to erase each other from their memories after a painful breakup. As the process unfolds in the man's mind, he relives their relationship and struggles to hold onto the memories.

dreamlikemelancholicnonlinearintrospectivetenderbittersweetvisually inventivecerebralunsettling

What happens

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American science fiction romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman from a story by Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth. It stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as a couple who undergo memory erasure after they break up. Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson appear in supporting roles. The title of the film is a quotation from the 1717 poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope. It uses elements of psychological drama and science fiction and a nonlinear narrative to explore the nature of memory and love. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind premiered in Los Angeles on March 9, 2004, and was released in theaters in the United States by Focus Features on March 19, to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the script and direction. The film was a box office success, grossing $73.3 million on a $20 million budget, and was named by the American Film Institute one of the Top 10 Films of 2004. At the 77th Academy Awards, Bismuth, Gondry and Kaufman won Best Original Screenplay, and Winslet received a nomination for Best Actress. The film has been named by several publications as one of the greatest of the 21st century and gained a cult following. It inspired music projects such as Jay Electronica's 2007 piece "Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)", Jhené Aiko's 2014 track "Spotless Mind" and Ariana Grande's 2024 album Eternal Sunshine. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Before Sunset (2004)
• The Dust Factory (2004)
• P.S. (2004)
• The Butterfly Effect (2004)
• Memory of Red (2004)
• Kings and Queen (2004)
• The Affair (2004)
• Garden State (2004)