:Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Joel Barish discovers that his estranged girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski, has undergone a procedure to have her memories of him erased by the New York City firm Lacuna. Heartbroken, he decides to undergo the same procedure. In preparation, he records a tape recounting his memories of their volatile relationship.

The Lacuna employees work on Joel's brain as he sleeps in his apartment so that he will wake up with no memory of the procedure. One employee, Patrick, leaves to see Clementine; since her procedure, he has been using Clementine's memories of Joel as a guide to seduce her. While the procedure runs on Joel's brain, the technician, Stan, and the secretary, Mary, take drugs, party, and have sex.

Joel re-experiences his memories of Clementine as they are erased, starting with their last fight. As he reaches earlier, happier memories, he realizes that he does not want to forget her. His mental projection of Clementine suggests that he hide her in memories that do not involve her. This halts the procedure, but Stan calls his boss, Howard, who arrives and restarts it. Joel comes to his last remaining memory of Clementine: the day they first met, on a beach in Montauk. As the memory crumbles around them, Clementine tells Joel to meet her in Montauk.

In Joel's apartment, Mary tries to impress Howard through their mutual interest in poetry by reciting a verse from Eloisa to Abelard. While Stan is outside, she tells Howard she is in love with him and they kiss. Howard's wife arrives and sees them through the window. Enraged, she tells Howard to tell Mary the truth: Mary and Howard had previously had an affair, and Mary had her memories of it erased. Disgusted, Mary steals the Lacuna records and mails them to the patients, including Joel and Clementine.

Joel wakes up on Valentine's Day with his memories of Clementine erased. He impulsively takes the Long Island Rail Road to Montauk and calls in sick to work. He accidentally meets Clementine on the train ride home; they are drawn to one another, and go on a date to the frozen Charles River in Boston. Joel drives Clementine home and Patrick sees the two of them, realizing they have found each other again. Joel and Clementine receive their Lacuna records from Mary and listen to their tapes together. They are shocked by the bitter memories they had of each other and almost separate again, but agree to try again.

{{multiple image|total_width = 200

| direction = vertical

| align = right

| footer = Jim Carrey (top) in 2008, and Kate Winslet in 2007

| image1 = Jim Carrey 2008.jpg

| alt1 = A 2008 image of actor Jim Carrey

| image2 = Sergeant interviews Kate Winslet on the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre in 2007 (cropped).jpg

| alt2 = A 2007 image of actress Kate Winslet

}}

• Jim Carrey as Joel Barish: A bookish introvert who enters a two-year relationship with Clementine Kruczynski. After their relationship ends, Clementine erases Joel from her memory, and he erases her from his mind in response. Charlie Kaufman depicted Joel with some of his own personality traits. Producers cast Carrey against type for his role as Joel, selecting him for his everyday appearance, as well as his comedic ability. According to Gondry, this was because "It's hard to be funny. It's far easier to take someone really funny and bring them down than do the opposite."{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/michel-gondry-on-mood-indigo-kanye-west-and-the-10th-anniversary-of-eternal-sunshine|title=Michel Gondry on 'Mood Indigo,' Kanye West, and the 10th Anniversary of 'Eternal Sunshine'|last=Stern|first=Marlow|date=July 19, 2014|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=June 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603081319/https://www.thedailybeast.com/michel-gondry-on-mood-indigo-kanye-west-and-the-10th-anniversary-of-eternal-sunshine|url-status=live}} To induce Carrey, an actor who typically portrayed high-energy roles, to portray a restrained character, Gondry would not allow him to improvise, a restriction he did not place on the other cast members (Carrey objected).{{cite web|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/undercover-indies-what-makes-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-so-unforgettable/|title=Undercover Indies: What Makes 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' So Unforgettable?|last=Placa|first=Kaia|date=March 31, 2017|website=Film Independent|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409154033/https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/undercover-indies-what-makes-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-so-unforgettable/|url-status=live}} Gondry also put Carrey off balance by giving misleading orders or by rolling the camera at the wrong time. Gondry believed this would make Carrey forget what he should do to be Joel, allowing him to go in character. In the 2017 Netflix documentary Jim & Andy, Carrey mentions a conversation with Gondry one year before shooting began for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, shortly after Carrey had a breakup with an unspecified woman.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carrey-life-is-too-beautiful/|title=Carrey: 'Life Is Too Beautiful'|last=Leung|first=Rebecca|date=November 18, 2004|website=CBS News|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=June 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629235751/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carrey-life-is-too-beautiful/|url-status=live}} Gondry saw that Carrey's emotional state at the time was "so beautiful, so broken" that he asked him to stay that way for one year to fit the character. In the documentary, Carrey commented, "That's how fucked up this business is."{{cite web|url=https://wtop.com/entertainment/2017/11/review-jim-carrey-possessed-by-andy-kaufman-in-documentary-jim-andy/|title=Review: 'Jim & Andy' documents Jim Carrey's journey into his own 'Tru-Man'|last=Fraley|first=Jason|date=November 30, 2017|website=wtop.com|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705150849/https://wtop.com/entertainment/2017/11/review-jim-carrey-possessed-by-andy-kaufman-in-documentary-jim-andy/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/jim-andy-great-beyond-venice-2017-1035248|title='Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond': Film Review {{!}} Venice 2017|last=Rooney|first=David|date=September 5, 2017|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=June 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629211728/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/jim-andy-great-beyond-venice-2017-1035248|url-status=live}} Nicolas Cage was Gondry's original choice to play Joel, but Cage was unavailable as he was in high demand from independent directors after his performance in Leaving Las Vegas.
• Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski: A spontaneous extrovert who, after breaking up with him after a two-year relationship, erases Joel Barish from her mind. Producers cast Winslet against type for her part as Clementine, as Winslet had previously featured heavily in period pieces.{{cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/kate-winslet-on-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2419277|title=No Corsets for Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"|last=Murray|first=Rebecca|website=ThoughtCo.|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705150622/https://www.thoughtco.com/kate-winslet-on-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2419277|url-status=live}} She received the role after she was the only actress to offer criticism on the script instead of pandering to the writers. After another actress won an Oscar, the studio attempted to make Gondry use her instead of Winslet for the role of Clementine, but Gondry threatened to walk from the project if that occurred. During filming, Gondry took Winslet to a separate room to coach her, and she wore wigs instead of dyeing her hair. Some commentators note how Clementine's character criticizes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl stock character several years before film critic Nathan Rabin coined the phrase.{{cite web |url= https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary |title= Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Still Resonates |website= Vanity Fair |date= March 19, 2019 |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320120028/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |url-status= live }} Most commentators discuss one particular example to demonstrate this criticism, wherein Clementine warns Joel she is flawed: "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's looking for my own peace of mind. Don't assign me yours."{{cite web|title=Remembering Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 10 Years Later|last=Gould|first=Hallie|date=March 20, 2014|website=Marie Claire|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a9285/manic-pixie-dream-girl-characters/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221001706/https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a9285/manic-pixie-dream-girl-characters/|archive-date=February 21, 2016|url-status= live|access-date=May 21, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://flavorwire.com/446166/eternal-sunshine-destroyed-the-manic-pixie-dream-girl-stereotype-before-it-even-existed|title='Eternal Sunshine' Destroyed the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Stereotype Before It Even Existed|last=Herman|first=Alison|date=March 19, 2014|website=FlavorWire|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705150828/http://flavorwire.com/446166/eternal-sunshine-destroyed-the-manic-pixie-dream-girl-stereotype-before-it-even-existed|url-status=live}} With her impulsiveness, emotional intensity (extreme mood changes), alcohol consumption, turbulent relationships, reckless behavior, and hasty idealization or devaluation of Joel, Clementine seems to exhibit traits of borderline personality disorder, although it is not clear whether Kaufman wrote her character with this specific diagnosis in mind.{{Cite news|url=https://themighty.com/2017/11/movies-borderline-personality-disorder-bpd/|title=6 Movies That Got Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms (Mostly) Right|work=The Mighty|access-date=2018-08-17|archive-date=August 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817231439/https://themighty.com/2017/11/movies-borderline-personality-disorder-bpd/|url-status=live}} Gondry had earlier thought of casting Björk for the role of Clementine. She feared she would be emotionally affected and rejected the invitation after reading the script.{{cite web |url= https://culturacolectiva.com/movies/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-fun-facts/ |title= 16 Things You Didn't Know About 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind'|last= Carrasco |first=Isabel|date= August 20, 2019 |website= culturacolectiva.com|access-date= March 9, 2022}} Winona Ryder also met with Gondry for the role.{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/winona-ryder-lost-eternal-sunshine-role-media-attention-1236075051/ |title=Winona Ryder Reveals She Lost Out On 'Eternal Sunshine' Role Due To Excessive Media Attention |date=September 2024 |access-date=September 1, 2024 |archive-date=September 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901214447/https://deadline.com/2024/09/winona-ryder-lost-eternal-sunshine-role-media-attention-1236075051/ |url-status=live }}
• Kirsten Dunst as Mary Svevo: The receptionist for Lacuna who, while dating Stan Fink, has a crush on Howard Mierzwiak. While erasing Joel's memory, Howard's wife catches her kissing Howard. Howard's wife reveals Mary previously had a relationship with Howard, which Howard erased from her mind. She reacts to this information by quitting her job and mailing Lacuna's company records to its customers. In the script, Mary and Howard's relationship resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, leading to Howard pressuring Mary into an abortion, which Howard also erased from her memory.{{cite web|url=http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/07/women-in-science-fiction-week-mary-svevo-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-minds-other-strong-female-character.html|title=Women in Science Fiction Week: Mary Svevo: 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's Other Strong Female Character|last=Civitello|first=Amanda|date=July 25, 2012|website=Bitch Flicks|access-date=September 29, 2018|archive-date=September 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929155625/http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/07/women-in-science-fiction-week-mary-svevo-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-minds-other-strong-female-character.html|url-status=dead}}
• Mark Ruffalo as Stan Fink: A technician for Lacuna who is in a relationship with Mary Svevo until the reveal of her previous relationship with Howard Mierzwiak. Ruffalo received the role of Stan after providing an "unexpected take on the role" to Gondry when he suggested Stan be a fan of the Clash and resemble Joe Strummer.
• Elijah Wood as Patrick Wertz: Patrick is a technician for Lacuna who enters a relationship with Clementine by imitating Joel. They break up when Joel and Clementine begin dating for the second time. Seth Rogen auditioned for the role.{{cite web |author=Evans |first=Bradford |date=2013-02-21 |title=The Lost Roles of Seth Rogen |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/02/the-lost-roles-of-seth-rogen.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610202447/https://www.vulture.com/amp/2013/02/the-lost-roles-of-seth-rogen.html |archive-date=June 10, 2021 |accessdate=2022-01-10 |website=Vulture}}
• Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Howard Mierzwiak: Howard runs Lacuna. Before the film's events, he had an affair with Mary, which ended with the relationship's erasure from her mind. Wilkinson reportedly did not enjoy the shooting of the film and clashed with Gondry.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-ruffalo-blasts-iraqs-gop-warmongers-talks-begin-again-and-avengers|title=Mark Ruffalo Blasts Iraq's GOP Warmongers, Talks 'Begin Again' and 'Avengers'|last=Stern|first=Marlow|date=June 30, 2014|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=July 5, 2018}}
• Jane Adams as Carrie Eakin: Joel's female friend. She is in a troubled relationship with Rob Eakin.
• David Cross as Rob Eakin: Joel's friend. In a troubled relationship with Carrie Eakin.
• Deirdre O'Connell as Hollis Mierzwiak: Howard's wife
• Debbon Ayer as Mrs. Barish: Joel's mother
• Thomas Jay Ryan as Frank: Joel Barish's neighbor
• Ellen Pompeo as Naomi, Joel's girlfriend (deleted scene)

The concept of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind came from conversations between director Michel Gondry and co-writer Pierre Bismuth in 1998.{{cite web|title=From Script to Screen: 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind'|last=Cohen|first=David S.|date=February 17, 2016|website=Script Magazine|url=http://www.scriptmag.com/features/script-screen-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307105758/http://www.scriptmag.com/features/script-screen-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind|archive-date=March 7, 2016|url-status= live|access-date=July 4, 2018}} The pair had met and become friends in the early 1980s during Gondry's drumming career in the French pop group Oui Oui.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/06/1|title=Eraserhead|last=Lack|first=Jessica|date=September 6, 2008|website=The Guardian|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=June 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124831/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/06/1|url-status=live}} Bismuth had conceived of the idea of erasing certain people from people's minds in response to a friend complaining about her boyfriend; when he asked her if she would erase that boyfriend from her memory, she said yes.{{cite web|url=https://cinephiliabeyond.org/eternal-sunshine-spotless-mind-unforgettable-heartbreaking-exploration-love-human-beings-nature-memory/|title='Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind': An Unforgettable and Heartbreaking Exploration of Love, Human Beings and the Nature of Memory|website=Cinephilia & Beyond|date=March 27, 2016|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331204712/https://cinephiliabeyond.org/eternal-sunshine-spotless-mind-unforgettable-heartbreaking-exploration-love-human-beings-nature-memory/|url-status=live}} Bismuth originally planned to conduct an art experiment involving sending cards to people saying someone they knew had erased the card's recipient from their memory.{{cite web|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/19247/1/a-secret-history-of-michel-gondry|title=Ten years of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|last=Mansfield|first=Matt|date=March 13, 2014|website=Dazed Digital|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=July 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704124204/http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/19247/1/a-secret-history-of-michel-gondry|url-status=live}} When he mentioned this to Gondry, they developed it into a story based on the situations that would arise if it were scientifically possible. Bismuth never carried out his experiment.

Gondry approached writer Charlie Kaufman with this concept, and they developed it into a short pitch.{{cite web |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=March 17, 2004 |title=Interview - Michel Gondry & Charlie Kaufman |url=https://www.avclub.com/michel-gondry-charlie-kaufman-1798208337 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124758/https://www.avclub.com/michel-gondry-charlie-kaufman-1798208337 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |access-date=July 4, 2018 |website=The A.V. Club}} While the writers did not believe the concept was marketable, a small bidding war began over the idea.{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/charlie-kaufman-anomaslisa-c-v-r.html|title=In Conversation: Charlie Kaufman|last=Sternbergh|first=Adam|date=December 16, 2015|website=Vulture|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=June 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628100621/http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/charlie-kaufman-anomaslisa-c-v-r.html|url-status=live}} Steve Golin of Propaganda Films purchased it on June 12, 1998, for a low seven-figure sum.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/charlie_kaufman.html|title=Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry - Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind|last=Kleinman|first=Geoffrey|website=DVD Talk|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=July 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704212842/https://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/charlie_kaufman.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/pic-pitch-plays-at-propaganda-1117471841/|title=Pic pitch plays at Propaganda|last=Madigan|first=Nick|date=June 15, 1998|work=Variety|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=July 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704200415/https://variety.com/1998/film/news/pic-pitch-plays-at-propaganda-1117471841/|url-status=live}} Kaufman, who was responsible for writing the screenplay, did not begin immediately, instead opting to suspend writing while he was working on Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Human Nature, the last of which Gondry directed as his directorial debut.

During this time, filmmaker Christopher Nolan released Memento (2000), which similarly deals with memory. Due to the similarities, Kaufman became worried and tried to pull out of the project, but Golin made him complete it. During writing, the pitch's ownership changed several times resulting in Kaufman not having to deal with the studios until the end of the scriptwriting process. The final script made the studios nervous.

{{quote box

| quote = How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot:
{{strong|Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind}}!
Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned;

| author = Alexander Pope

| source = Eloisa to Abelard, lines 207–210

| width = 300px

| align = right

| quoted = 1

}}

Kaufman did not want to make the film a thriller and wanted to downplay the science fiction aspects of memory erasure, focusing on the relationship. He had an "enormous struggle" while writing the script, particularly encountering two problems: showing "the memories, Joel's reactions to the memories, and Joel interacting with Clementine outside of the memories in the memories," and the fact that characters could refer in later scenes to already erased memories.

Kaufman resolved the first problem by making Joel lucid and able to comment on his memories and solved the second by making the memories degrade instead of immediately erasing, with complete erasure occurring at awakening. Kaufman's original name for the screenplay was 18 words long, as he had wanted a title that "you couldn't possibly fit on a marquee."{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3664683.stm|title=Inside screenwriter Kaufman's Mind|last=Smith|first=Neil|date=April 28, 2004|website=BBC News|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126035941/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3664683.stm|url-status=live}} He eventually decided on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a title originating from the 1717 poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/arts/film-charlie-kaufman-s-critique-of-pure-comedy.html|title=Charlie Kaufman's Critique of Pure Comedy|last=Scott|first=A. O.|date=April 4, 2004|website=The New York Times|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=January 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120181856/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/arts/film-charlie-kaufman-s-critique-of-pure-comedy.html|url-status=live}}

Alain Resnais's Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968) has been cited as an influence on the film.{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Jonathan |date=19 March 2004 |title=A Stylist Hits His Stride (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) |url=http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/2004/03/a-stylist-hits-his-stride/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402044311/http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/2004/03/a-stylist-hits-his-stride/ |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |website=Chicago Reader}}{{cite web |title=Je t'aime, je t'aime |url=http://www.thecinematheque.ca/jetaime-jetaime |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074328/http://www.thecinematheque.ca/jetaime-jetaime |archive-date=18 May 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |website=The Cinematheque}}

File:Montauk LIRR train station.jpg, where Joel and Clementine meet each other again after the erasing of their memories|alt=]]

The shooting of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind began in mid-January 2003 after six weeks of preparation,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/dec/20/news1|title=In brief: Elijah Wood joins Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|date=December 20, 2002|website=The Guardian|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154929/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/dec/20/news1|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/ruffalo-springs-for-eternal-1117877087/|title=Ruffalo springs for 'Eternal'|last=Feiwell|first=Jill|date=December 8, 2002|website=Variety|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709154241/https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/ruffalo-springs-for-eternal-1117877087/|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|last=Pavlus|first=John|date=April 2004|title=Forget Me Not|url=https://theasc.com/magazine/april04/cover/|journal=The International Journal of Film & Digital Production Techniques|volume=85|pages=1–3|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409154031/https://theasc.com/magazine/april04/cover/|url-status=live}} lasting for three months on a budget of $20 million mostly in and around New York City. The film was shot on Fuji Reala 500D. The production crew recreated some key scenes, such as Joel's Rockville Centre apartment and the 1950s-style kitchen, in a New Jersey former U.S. Navy base. The shoot was difficult, sometimes shooting for 17 hours per day in harsh environments.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/video/11693635868/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-Jim-Carrey-a|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet interview|date=April 18, 2004|website=SBS|access-date=September 29, 2018|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409154031/https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/video/11693635868/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-Jim-Carrey-a|url-status=dead}}

The shoot was challenging for cinematographer Ellen Kuras, due to the difficulty of filming Gondry's vision, which aimed to "blend location-shoot authenticity with unpredictable flashes of whimsy". Gondry wanted available light used exclusively for the shoot. Kuras disagreed and worked around this idea by lighting the room instead of the actors and by hiding light bulbs around the set to increase light levels. Another issue the cinematographers encountered was that due to the frequent improvisation, the lack of marks and the few rehearsals completed, the cinematographers often did not know where the actors would be. Two handheld cameras filmed near 360-degree footage at all times, shooting 36,000 feet of film a day to deal with this. Gondry called back to the work of French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard by filming using wheelchairs as well as using sled and chariot dollies instead of traditional dollies. When using wheelchairs, the shot was not consistently smooth; however, as Kuras liked the aesthetic of the low-angle, wobbly movement, the final film contains the footage.

File:Beach in East Hampton.jpg, near where the film's beach scenes were filmed]]

The film used minimal CGI, with many effects accomplished in-camera through forced perspectives, hidden space, spotlighting, unsynchronized sound, split focus and continuity editing. A notable example is the ocean washing away the house in Montauk; the production team accomplished this by building the corner of a house on the beach and allowing the tide to rise. Executing this effect was difficult, as the special team hired to place the set in the water refused due to perceived dangers. In response, Gondry fired the team and had the production team, including the actors and producers, place the set in the water. In retaliation for Gondry's actions, the chief of the union reprimanded Gondry in front of the crew.{{cite web|title=Michel Gondry: "I Believe in Utopia"|date=July 27, 2011|website=The Talks|url=http://the-talks.com/interview/michel-gondry/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224104825/https://the-talks.com/interview/michel-gondry/|archive-date=February 24, 2016|url-status= live|access-date=July 5, 2018}}

Kaufman rewrote some of the script during production; thus, several differences exist between the production script and the final film. A fundamental difference is that in the production script, with the erasure of each memory, Clementine's behavior is increasingly robotic. In the final film, Winslet plays Clementine straight, and degradation of settings and the intrusion of settings upon each other establish memory degradation visually. Another script component that did not make it into the final film was the appearance of Naomi, Joel's girlfriend, played by Ellen Pompeo. Against Kaufman's insistence on Naomi's inclusion, the production team cut her already filmed scenes. Tracy Morgan was also cut from the film.{{cite web |url= https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary-jim-carrey-michel-gondry |title= Mind Games and Broken Hearts: Jim Carrey and Michel Gondry on Making Eternal Sunshine |website= Vanity Fair |date= March 19, 2019 |access-date=March 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320115735/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary-jim-carrey-michel-gondry |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |url-status= live }} In one version of the script, Kaufman began the story 50 years in the future. An old woman who turns out to be Mary tries to drop off a bulky manuscript at a publishing house, but the publisher declines her offer. We later learn that the manuscript contains all of the memories that Lacuna had erased from its patients. This version of the film ends with an elderly Clementine once again erasing Joel.Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The shooting script, Introduction by Michel Gondry, Interview of Kaufman, by Rob Feld (New York: Newmarket Press, 2004), 142.

Valdís Óskarsdóttir edited the film, and she reportedly clashed with Gondry during editing.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/10/heroines-of-cinema-valdis-oskarsdottir-and-the-invisible-art-of-editing-44254/|title=Heroines of Cinema: Valdis Oskarsdottir, and the 'Invisible Art' of Editing|last=Hammett Knott|first=Matthew|date=October 11, 2012|website=IndieWire|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709155049/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/10/heroines-of-cinema-valdis-oskarsdottir-and-the-invisible-art-of-editing-44254/|url-status=live}} Kaufman was also very involved in the editing of the film. Editing was a long process as there was no requirement to rush it. There were a few test screenings of the film, which elicited positive reactions.

{{Main|Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (soundtrack)}}

The soundtrack for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was composed by Jon Brion, also featuring songs from artists including The Polyphonic Spree, The Willowz and Don Nelson. Hollywood Records released the soundtrack in March 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040225005925/en/Beck-Polyphonic-Spree-Headline-Hollywood-Records-Eternal|title=Beck and The Polyphonic Spree Headline Hollywood Records' 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' Soundtrack|last=Ferraro|first=Kris|date=February 25, 2004|website=Business Wire|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627062234/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040225005925/en/Beck-Polyphonic-Spree-Headline-Hollywood-Records-Eternal|url-status=live}} A cover version of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" with instrumentation by Brion and vocals by Beck operates as the soundtrack's centerpiece, setting the film's tone in the opening credits, and closing the film.{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2009/12/cinema-sounds-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/|title=Cinema Sounds: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|last=O'Shoney|first=Carson|date=December 18, 2009|website=Consequence of Sound|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206175831/https://consequence.net/2009/12/cinema-sounds-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/|url-status=live}}

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's soundtrack received generally positive reviews. AllMusic described Brion's score as "intimate" and "evocative of love and memories".{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-mw0000696862|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - AllMusic Review|last=Phares|first=Heather|website=AllMusic.com|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627062604/https://www.allmusic.com/album/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-mw0000696862|url-status=live}} Other positive reviews noted the ambient nature of the music and lauded Beck's cover of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime".{{cite web|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Pitchfork Review|last=Sylvester|first=Nick|date=April 6, 2004|website=Pitchfork.com|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7890-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714224556/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7890-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/|archive-date=July 14, 2009|url-status= live|access-date=July 6, 2018}} The soundtrack's detractors criticized the album's lack of identity and its depressive atmosphere.{{cite web|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Filmtracks Review|last=Clemmensen|first=Christian|date=21 January 2005|website=Filmtracks.com|url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/eternal_sunshine.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210025028/http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/eternal_sunshine.html|archive-date=February 10, 2005|url-status= live|access-date=May 21, 2019}} Even among the detractors, the score's ability to mesh with the plot was lauded, an appraisal common to many reviews.{{cite web|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-losers-the-rare-but-beautiful-film-scores-of-jon-brion-deserve-an-oscar-2b29438a926e/|title=The Losers: The Rare But Beautiful Film Scores of Jon Brion Deserve an Oscar|last=Belletto|first=Adam|date=February 17, 2015|website=Film School Rejects|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627173035/https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-losers-the-rare-but-beautiful-film-scores-of-jon-brion-deserve-an-oscar-2b29438a926e/|url-status=live}}

Author Carol Vernallis, writing in Screen, argued that Gondry's experience in directing music videos contributed to the film's mise-en-scène and sound design. Vernallis describes some threads of the visual, aural, and musical motifs throughout the film, and how some motifs can work in counterpoint.{{Cite journal|last=Vernallis|first=Carol|date=2008|title=Music video, songs, sound: experience, technique and emotion in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|url=https://academic.oup.com/screen/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/screen/hjn036|journal=Screen|volume=49|issue=3|pages=277–297|doi=10.1093/screen/hjn036|issn=|access-date=August 13, 2021|archive-date=February 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210144251/https://academic.oup.com/screen/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/screen/hjn036|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}

Philosopher Christopher Grau, in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, discussed how he perceived the film to have its own defined philosophy, beyond addressing ideas of a philosophical nature.{{Cite journal|last=Grau|first=Christopher|date=2006|title="Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and the Morality of Memory|journal=The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism|volume=64|issue=1|pages=119–133|doi=10.1111/j.0021-8529.2006.00234.x|jstor=3700497|issn=0021-8529|doi-access=free}}

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has been aligned with a greater inspection, distinctly related to the 21st century, of memory, longing and nostalgia in science fiction films like Code 46 and 2046. The film showcases memory as fragmented and unreliable, evident by its non-linear structure.{{Cite journal|last=Teo|first=Yugin|date=2013|title=Love, longing and danger|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2013.24|journal=Science Fiction Film & Television|volume=6|issue=3|pages=349–368|doi=10.3828/sfftv.2013.24|s2cid=191331765 |issn=1754-3770}}

Produced on a budget of $20 million, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind opened on March 19, 2004, in the United States, earning $8.2 million in its opening weekend from 1,353 theaters. The film placed seventh in the weekend's box office, and remained in theaters for 19 weeks, earning $34.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $39.6 million in international markets, for a total of $74 million worldwide.{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=eternalsunshine.htm |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Film) |publisher=Box Office Mojo |access-date=June 30, 2021 |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312010211/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=eternalsunshine.htm |url-status=live }}

File:Kate Winslet 2006 Toronto.jpg's performance garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.]]

On Rotten Tomatoes, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has an approval rating of 92% based on 255 reviews, with an average score of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Propelled by Charlie Kaufman's smart, imaginative script and Michel Gondry's equally daring directorial touch, Eternal Sunshine is a twisty yet heartfelt look at relationships and heartache."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=July 2, 2021 |archive-date=November 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126185243/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind/ |url-status=live}} On Metacritic, the film has a score of 89 out of 100, based on 41 reviews.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |website=Metacritic|access-date=2018-07-05 |archive-date=April 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425185357/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind|url-status=live}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com |access-date=2018-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |url-status=dead}}

Roger Ebert wrote: "Despite jumping through the deliberately disorienting hoops of its story, Eternal Sunshine has an emotional center, and that's what makes it work. Although Joel and Clementine ping-pong through various stages of romance and reality, what remains constant is the human need for love and companionship, and the human compulsion to keep seeking it, despite all odds."{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004 |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=2004-03-19 |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=2018-07-07|archive-date=2018-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706215107/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004 |url-status=live}} In 2010, he added it to his "Great Movies" canon, writing "The wisdom in Eternal Sunshine is how it illuminates the way memory interacts with love. We more readily recall pleasure than pain. From the hospital I remember laughing nurses and not sleepless nights. A drunk remembers the good times better than the hangovers. A failed political candidate remembers the applause. An unsuccessful romantic lover remembers the times when it worked."{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004-1 |title=The space between who we are and who we think we are |author=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=2010-01-02 |website=Rogerebert.suntimes.com |type=Review; 2010 review |access-date=2016-10-11 |archive-date=2016-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920070116/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004-1 |url-status=live}} A. O. Scott praised it as "cerebral, formally and conceptually complicated, dense with literary allusions and as unabashedly romantic as any movie you'll ever see".{{cite web |last= Murphy |first= Mekado |url= http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/critics-picks-video-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/ |title= Critics' Picks Video: 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' |work= The New York Times |date= February 15, 2011 |access-date= 2013-03-27 |archive-date= April 3, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130403043107/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/critics-picks-video-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/ |url-status= live }} Time Out concluded: "the formidable Gondry/Kaufman/Carrey/Winslet axis works marvel after marvel in expressing the bewildering beauty and existential horror of being trapped inside one's own addled mind, and in allegorising the self-preserving amnesia of a broken but hopeful heart".{{cite web |author = JWin |url = https://www.timeout.com/london/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind |title = Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind movie review |work = Time Out |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130611164023/https://www.timeout.com/london/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind |archive-date = June 11, 2013 |access-date=2017-12-04 }} In 2017, The New York Times named it one of the greatest films of the 21st Century so far: "Charlie Kaufman's writing has the perfect equipoise of cynicism and sensitivity, and finds a perfect correlative in the director Michel Gondry's whimsical ingenuity. The only thing better than seeing it again would be wiping it from your memory and rediscovering it for the first time."{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/movies/the-25-best-films-of-the-21st-century.html |title=The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far. |date=2017-06-09 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2017-06-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708065541/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/movies/the-25-best-films-of-the-21st-century.html |archive-date=8 July 2017}} Ross Douthat included it on his list, calling it "The most complete and accessible and moving Charlie Kaufman movie".{{cite news |title=The Best Movies of the 21st Century |author=Ross Douthat |date=2017-06-13 |work=The New York Times |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/the-best-movies-of-the-21st-century/ |archive-date=December 26, 2023 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226231514/https://archive.nytimes.com/douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/the-best-movies-of-the-21st-century/ |url-status=live }}

Winslet and Carrey received widespread praise for their performances. Winslet received multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Premiere placed her performance 81st in their 2008 list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.{{cite web |url=http://www.premiere.com/List/The-100-Greatest-Performances-of-All-Time/The-100-Greatest-Performances-of-All-Time-100-75 |title=The 100 Greatest Performances of All Time: 100–75 |date=2008-12-03 |work=Premiere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331131542/http://www.premiere.com/List/The-100-Greatest-Performances-of-All-Time/The-100-Greatest-Performances-of-All-Time-100-75 |archive-date=March 31, 2009 |url-status= dead |access-date=2018-07-07}} Claudia Puig wrote: "Winslet is wonderful as a free spirit whose hair color changes along with her moods. She hasn't had such a meaty role in a while, and she plays it just right".{{cite web |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2004-03-18-eternal-sunshine_x.htm |title=Soak up 'Eternal Sunshine,' and you'll feel warm all over |last=Puig |first=Claudia |date=2004-03-18 |work=USA Today |access-date=2018-07-09 |archive-date=2017-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203130303/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2004-03-18-eternal-sunshine_x.htm |url-status=live}} Ann Hornaday, in The Washington Post, said "Even when forced to wear costumes and wigs that make her look like Pippi Longstocking after an acid-fueled trip to the thrift market, Winslet maintains a reassuring equilibrium. It takes an actor of her steadiness to play someone this unhinged."{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/03/19/AR2005033113008.html |title=Head Over Heels in Love |last=Hornaday|first=Ann |date=2004-03-19 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2018-09-29 |archive-date=2018-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410151550/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/03/19/AR2005033113008.html |url-status=live}}

Carrey also received multiple award nominations, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe nomination. Many reviewers noted his casting against type. Jason Killingsworth wrote: "Carrey nails the part, winning audience sympathy from the opening moments of the film".{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/06/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind.html |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |last=Killingsworth |first=Jason |date=2004-06-01 |website=Paste |access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=2018-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709123303/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/06/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind.html |url-status=live}} Moira MacDonald in The Seattle Times stated "[Jim Carrey is] not bad at all — in fact, it's the most honest, vulnerable work he's ever done",{{cite web |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040319/eternal19/eternal-sunshine-is-a-rocket-ship-ride-to-highs-and-lows-of-love |title='Eternal Sunshine' is a rocket-ship ride to highs and lows of love |last=Macdonald |first=Moira |date=March 19, 2004 |website=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929233210/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?slug=eternal19&date=20040319 |url-status=live}} while David Edelstein of Slate said "It's rarely a compliment when I refer to an actor as "straitjacketed", but the straitjacketing of Jim Carrey is fiercely poignant. You see all that manic comic energy imprisoned in this ordinary man, with the anarchism peeking out and trying to find a way to express itself."{{cite web |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040319/eternal19/eternal-sunshine-is-a-rocket-ship-ride-to-highs-and-lows-of-love |title=Forget Me Not |last=Edelstein |first=David |date=March 18, 2004 |website=Slate |access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929233210/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?slug=eternal19&date=20040319 |url-status=live}} The supporting cast also received acclaim, with several reviewers, including Hornaday and Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail singling out Ruffalo's performance for praise.{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/anatomy-of-a-lovers-mind/article742495/ |title=Anatomy of a lover's mind |last=Groen |first=Rick |date=March 19, 2004 |website=The Globe and Mail |access-date=2018-09-29 |archive-date=2019-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409154032/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/anatomy-of-a-lovers-mind/article742495/ |url-status=live}}

Critics praised Kaufman, and he won numerous awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay. In Slate, David Edelstein claimed Kaufman had "move[d] the boundary posts of romantic comedy," and Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times called Kaufman "one of the few creative screenwriters working today." Kaufman's writing received criticism, with John Powers of the LA Weekly claiming it lacked passion{{cite web |url=https://www.laweekly.com/film/about-a-boy-2137933|title=About a Boy|last=Powers|first=John|date=March 18, 2004|website=LA Weekly|access-date=September 29, 2018|archive-date=September 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929194644/https://www.laweekly.com/film/about-a-boy-2137933|url-status=live}} and Andrew Sarris of The Observer criticizing the film's "nonexistent character development."{{cite web|url=https://observer.com/2004/03/eternal-sunshine-left-my-mind-spotless/|title=Eternal Sunshine Left My Mind Spotless|last=Sarris|first=Andrew|date=March 29, 2004|website=Observer|access-date=September 29, 2018|archive-date=September 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929233214/https://observer.com/2004/03/eternal-sunshine-left-my-mind-spotless/|url-status=live}}

Gondry received praise, with Hornaday writing "the results [of Gondry using primarily in-camera effects], in their intricate detail and execution" as "nothing short of brilliant". The Seattle Times in their review stated "Gondry ... makes it all a melancholy fun house, with camera work and visual tricks that rival the screenplay in invention". Cinematographer Ellen Kuras received praise for her work on the film; in an overall negative review, Stephanie Zacharek of Salon praised Kuras for giving "the movie a look of dreamy urgency that's perfect for the story".{{cite web|title=Brilliant mistake|last=Zacharek|first=Stephanie|date=March 19, 2004|website=Salon|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/03/19/eternal_sunshine/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117225533/https://www.salon.com/2004/03/19/eternal_sunshine/|archive-date=November 17, 2011|url-status= live|access-date=September 29, 2018}}

The A. V. Club placed it first on its list of the best films of the 2000s, writing: "Though Kaufman is hardly a purely cerebral writer, his philosophical inquiries find an added emotional weight under Gondry's direction. Portraying the fading and flaring of love in gargantuan bookstores and on railway lines, Gondry captures a moment that's quintessentially of the 21st century, and yet timeless. In 2000, the calendar rolled over to a new millennium. With it came a symbolic break with the past, but our old passions and conflicts reasserted themselves seemingly at the stroke of midnight. So it is with Eternal Sunshine{{'}}s lovers, whose circular path brings them back together for an ending that's ambiguous but guardedly hopeful about the possibility of a future not necessarily doomed to reprise the hurt of the past, though it also may well revisit the same mistakes. It's the rare film that shows us who we are now and who we're likely, for better or worse, forever to be."

{{Main|List of accolades received by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind}}

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was released on VHS and DVD by Universal Studios Home Video on September 28, 2004,{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Tracy L. |title='Sunshine' Brings Love to Mind |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/2004/09/26/sunshine-brings-love-to-mind/d7954463-8c39-4f16-b61c-8c918c2daeb1/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=September 26, 2004}}{{cite news |last1=Kipp |first1=Jeremiah |last2=Gonzalez |first2=Ed |title=Review: Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Universal DVD |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-dvd/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=Slant Magazine |date=25 September 2004 |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127230757/https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-dvd/ |url-status=live }} selling a combined total of over 600,000 units on the first day.{{cite news |last1=Sporich |first1=Brett |title='Sunshine' surprises in DVD sales |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news/147525418/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Philadelphia Daily News |date=1 October 2004 |page=51}} Among the add-ons included were deleted scenes.{{cite news |title=Video This Week |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee/147525986/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=The Modesto Bee |date=1 October 2004 |page=87}}{{cite news |last1=Lowman |first1=Rob |title=A helter-skelter run down memory lane |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world/147526207/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Los Angeles Daily Times |publisher=Tulsa World |date=1 October 2004 |page=74 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516231943/https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world/147526207/ |url-status=live }} It debuted at number 11 on the VHS rental chart,{{cite news |title=TOP VIDEOS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun/147526517/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Video Business |publisher=The Desert Sun |date=9 October 2004 |page=52 |archive-date=May 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516231944/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun/147526517/ |url-status=live }} as well as number three on the DVD sales chart.{{cite magazine |title=Video Lists |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-belleville-news-democrat/147526813/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |magazine=Billboard |publisher=The Belleville News-Democrat |date=15 October 2004 |page=28}}

A two-disc Collector's Edition was later released on January 4, 2005.{{cite news |last1=Germain |first1=David |title='Eternal Sunshine' now offers more |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald/147527092/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=The Everett Herald |date=4 January 2005 |page=27}}{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=21 October 2004 |title=Collector's Edition of Eternal Sunshine... Planned |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/21/collectors-edition-of-eternal-sunshine-planned |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127230756/https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/21/collectors-edition-of-eternal-sunshine-planned |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=IGN}} It was later released on HD DVD on April 24, 2007,{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Evan |date=31 January 2007 |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Enters the HD-DVD Realm On April 24 |url=https://movieweb.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-enters-the-hd-dvd-realm-on-april-24/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927021410/https://movieweb.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-enters-the-hd-dvd-realm-on-april-24/ |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=MovieWeb}} and on Blu-ray on January 25, 2011.{{cite news |last1=McCutcheon |first1=David |title=Eternal Sunshine's HD Light |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/14/eternal-sunshines-hd-light |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=IGN |date=14 October 2010 |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127232259/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/14/eternal-sunshines-hd-light |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=DeSalvo |first1=Robert |title=Memory of 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' Now More Vivid on Blu-ray |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/4wfpuu/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-blu-ray-review |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=MTV |date=January 25, 2011 |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127230756/https://www.mtv.com/news/4wfpuu/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-blu-ray-review |url-status=dead }} On July 26, 2022, Kino Lorber Studio Classics released Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray.{{Cite web |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-4K-Blu-ray/274903/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830152359/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-4K-Blu-ray/274903/ |archive-date=August 30, 2022 |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=blu-ray.com}} This release included a new color grading supervised by cinematographer Ellen Kuras.{{Cite web |title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |url=https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/9111 |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=www.klstudioclassics.com |archive-date=August 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830152406/https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/9111 |url-status=live }}

American singer-songwriter Halsey sampled dialogue from the film for her song "Ashley", the opening track on her 2020 album, Manic,{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/music-reviews/2020/01/17/halsey-manic-ew-review/ |title=On 'Manic', Halsey chases happiness through chaos |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Ilana |last=Kaplan |date=January 17, 2020 |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709113942/https://ew.com/music-reviews/2020/01/17/halsey-manic-ew-review/}} as well as the following track "Clementine" being titled after and lyrically inspired by Winslet's character.{{Cite magazine |last=Martoccio |first=Angie |date=2019-06-24 |title=The First Time: Halsey |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-first-time-with-halsey-850718/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404215220/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-first-time-with-halsey-850718/ |url-status=live }}

American post-hardcore band Circa Survive released their first record, Juturna,{{cite magazine |url=https://everythingisnoise.net/features/a-scene-in-retrospect-circa-survive-juturna/ |title=A SCENE IN RETROSPECT: Circa Survive – "Juturna" |magazine=Everything Is Noise |first=Dominik |last=Böhmer |date=March 3, 2019 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516145030/https://everythingisnoise.net/features/a-scene-in-retrospect-circa-survive-juturna/}} in 2005. While the album is primarily about lead singer Anthony Green's battle with addiction and substance abuse, the film is referenced both directly and indirectly in its lyrics.{{cite web |title=Circa Survive – Holding Someone's Hair Back |website=Genius |date=April 19, 2005 |url=https://genius.com/Circa-survive-holding-someones-hair-back-lyrics |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429060847/https://genius.com/Circa-survive-holding-someones-hair-back-lyrics}}

American rapper and record producer Jay Electronica sampled five different tracks of Jon Brion's film score for his 2007 debut mixtape Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge).{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/jay-electronica-timeline-676556/ |title=A Written Testimony: A Timeline From 'Act I' To Jay Electronica's New Album |magazine=Vibe |first=Kevin |last=Clark |date=March 17, 2020 |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601111848/https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/jay-electronica-timeline-676556/ }}

American rapper and record producer Mac Miller sampled a track of Jon Brion's film score for his 2013 song "The Quest".{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=2024-03-22 |title=Mac Miller's 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'-Sampling Deep Cut 'The Quest' Is Now Streaming |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mac-miller-unreleased-song-the-quest-streaming-1234992830/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240322173719/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mac-miller-unreleased-song-the-quest-streaming-1234992830/ |archive-date=2024-03-22 |access-date=2024-03-22 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}

American singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko said the film inspired the songs "Eternal Sunshine" and "Spotless Mind" on her 2014 debut album, Souled Out.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thefader.com/2014/04/29/jhene-aiko-souled-out-sade-interview/#ixzz369XYnZRx |title=Jhené Aiko on Her Debut LP: "People Compare It to a Younger Sade"|magazine=The Fader |first=Marissa |last=Muller |date=April 29, 2014 |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230409080413/https://www.thefader.com/2014/04/29/jhene-aiko-souled-out-sade-interview/}}

South Korean singer-songwriter Taeyeon took inspiration from the film in the music video for her song "What Do I Call You", the title track on her 2020 EP with the same name.{{cite web |title=Tae Yeon Coba Lupakan Kenangan Buruk Dalam MV Comeback Solo 'What Do I Call You'|trans-title=Tae Yeon Tries To Forget Bad Memories In Solo Comeback MV 'What Do I Call You'|url=https://www.wowkeren.com/berita/tampil/00343830.html|website=WowKeren|date=15 December 2020|access-date=November 11, 2023|language=id|archive-date=November 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111103813/https://www.wowkeren.com/berita/tampil/00343830.html|url-status=live}}

South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter B.I said that the film inspired his song "Tangerine", the fourth track on his 2022 release Love or Loved Part.1.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/32acox/b-i-interview-love-or-loved-part-1 |title=B.I Is Not Afraid Of Love |magazine=MTV News |first=Tanu I. |last=Raj |date=November 18, 2022 |access-date=July 8, 2023 |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229021924/https://www.mtv.com/news/32acox/b-i-interview-love-or-loved-part-1 |url-status=dead }}

American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande titled her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine after the film. Her music videos for the songs "Yes, And?" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)", as well as the rest of the album's songs, and the short film Brighter Days Ahead (2025) which accompanied the album's deluxe reissue, contain references to the film.{{Cite magazine |date=2024-03-07 |title=The Meaning Behind Ariana Grande's New Album Title |url=https://time.com/6898659/ariana-grande-eternal-sunshine-meaning/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |magazine=TIME |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308000906/https://time.com/6898659/ariana-grande-eternal-sunshine-meaning/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last=Martoccio |first=Angie |date=March 28, 2025 |title=An Elderly Ariana Grande Relives Memories in 'Brighter Days Ahead' Short Film |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ariana-grande-brighter-days-ahead-short-film-1235305555/ |access-date=March 28, 2025 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}{{Cite web |last=Denis |first=Kyle |date=2025-03-28 |title=Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead’ Deluxe: All 6 Songs Ranked |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/ariana-grande-eternal-sunshine-brighter-days-songs-ranked/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Kan Gao, founder of Freebird Games, said his video game To the Moon, which is about two doctors traversing through the memory of an old man to fulfill his last wish, was inspired by the film.{{cite magazine |url=https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2011/12/30/interview-in-conversation-with-kan-gao-freebird-games-to-the-moon/|title=INTERVIEW – In Conversation With Kan Gao (Freebird Games, To The Moon) |magazine=Alternative Magazine Online |first=Marty |last=Mulrooney |date=December 30, 2011 |access-date=September 17, 2023 |archive-date=January 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114081706/http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2011/12/30/interview-in-conversation-with-kan-gao-freebird-games-to-the-moon/|url-status=live }}

• "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind"
• Eternal Sunshine
• Lucid dream
• List of films considered the best

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{IMDb title}}
• {{tcmdb title|id=458401}}
• {{Metacritic film}}
• {{AFI film}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051220085434/http://www.lacunainc.com/ Lacuna Inc.], promotional website for the film
• {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Michel Gondry}}

{{Charlie Kaufman}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Awards for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

|list =

{{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture}}

{{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film 1991–2010}}

{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}

{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble}}

}}

{{Subject bar|portal1=2000s|portal2=Film|portal3=United States}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind}}

Category:2004 films

Category:2004 independent films

Category:2004 romantic drama films

Category:2004 science fiction films

Category:2000s American films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2000s psychological drama films

Category:2000s science fiction drama films

Category:2000s science fiction romance films

Category:American independent films

Category:American mad scientist films

Category:American nonlinear narrative films

Category:American psychological drama films

Category:American romantic drama films

Category:American science fiction drama films

Category:American science fiction romance films

Category:Anonymous Content films

Category:BAFTA winners (films)

Category:English-language independent films

Category:English-language romantic drama films

Category:English-language science fiction drama films

Category:Existentialist films

Category:Films about disability in the United States

Category:Films about memory erasure and alteration

Category:Films directed by Michel Gondry

Category:Films produced by Steve Golin

Category:Films scored by Jon Brion

Category:Films set on Long Island

Category:Films set in Manhattan

Category:Films shot in New Jersey

Category:Films shot in New York (state)

Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award

Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award

Category:Films with screenplays by Charlie Kaufman

Category:Focus Features films

Category:Postmodern films

Category:Hard science fiction films

Category:Saturn Award–winning films