You will definitely remember ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’

By Owen Smith

April 29, 2021

In 2004’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” you’re transported into a world where memories can be erased forever. No longer do you have to live with regrets; you can just forget them. This seemingly innocent idea becomes a reality in by Michel Gondry’s dark romantic film that contains elements of sci-fi. After watching, you’ll feel a little confused, but you’ll make sure you keep your memories.

Joel Barish (played by Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), initially a friendly and lively couple, experience a nasty breakup. With her impulsive nature, Clementine goes to Lacuna Inc., where they erase her memories of Joel. After learning of her erasure, he decides to get the procedure done to remove his memories of her as revenge. At Lacuna, he tells the doctor, Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), all of his memories of Clementine and he removes anything that involves her or reminds him of her from his apartment.

Stan Fink (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick Wertz (Elijah Wood) are the two technicians that come to Joel’s apartment to do the erasure. He is asleep during the entire process but he experiences the memories of Clementine again as they are being erased. After some happy memories, he realizes that he does not want to lose his memory of her. He works with the version of Clementine that is in his memories to try and save them.

The timeline of the movie is a little over a day but there is so much more that is seen through Joel’s memories. This unconventional approach is what makes the film so interesting. While it can be confusing at times, seeing Joel and Clementine run through his memories visualizes the internal struggle he faces as he desperately tries to hold onto any remaining memories of Clementine.

The movie’s trailer makes the idea of erasing memories seem innocent and fun, which it is, on the surface. But the movie totally contradicts everything the trailer tells you. It shows Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, smirking and smiling, so you could be forgiven for thinking that “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind” is a goofy comedy. The trailer also shows many of the characters smiling and laughing as “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra plays in the background. But after watching the movie, you realize how much deeper erasing memories really is. Joel lives through this, eventually recognizing that he wants to remember Clementine and all of the high and lows they shared together.

While the structure of the film can be a little confusing, it makes for a great story once you realize what really happened. It involves romance but isn’t just a sappy love story and is recommended for anyone who’s looking for a mix between romance and a psychological thriller as we watch the movie through Joel’s mind.