View source for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

{{Short description|2004 American film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
| image          = Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.png
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Michel Gondry ]]
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Steve Golin]]
* [[Anthony Bregman]]
}}
| screenplay     = [[Charlie Kaufman]]
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* Michel Gondry
* Charlie Kaufman
* [[Pierre Bismuth]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jim Carrey]]
* [[Kate Winslet]]
* [[Kirsten Dunst]]
* [[Mark Ruffalo]]
* [[Elijah Wood]]
* [[Tom Wilkinson]]
}}
| music          = [[Jon Brion]]
| cinematography = [[Ellen Kuras]]
| editing        = [[Valdís Óskarsdóttir]]
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[Anonymous Content]]
* [[This Is That Productions|This is that]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Focus Features]]
| released       = {{Film date|2004|3|19|United States}}
| runtime        = 108 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $20 million
| gross          = $74 million
}}
'''''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind''''' is a 2004 American [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[romantic drama film|romantic]] [[drama film]] directed by [[Michel Gondry]] and written by [[Charlie Kaufman]] from a story by Gondry, Kaufman, and [[Pierre Bismuth]]. Starring [[Jim Carrey]] and [[Kate Winslet]], with supporting roles from [[Kirsten Dunst]], [[Mark Ruffalo]], [[Elijah Wood]] and [[Tom Wilkinson]], it follows two individuals who undergo a [[memory erasure]] procedure to forget each other after the dissolution of their romantic relationship. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|work=Slant Magazine|date=January 23, 2004|access-date=September 25, 2004|archive-date=July 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704202513/https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind|url-status=live}}</ref>
''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' opened in theaters in the United States on March 19, 2004, to widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, who hailed the visual style, editing, writing, score, themes, direction and performances, especially of Carrey and Winslet. The film was a box office success, grossing $74 million on a $20 million budget, and was named by the [[American Film Institute]] one of the Top 10 Films of 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI AWARDS 2004 |url=https://www.afi.com/award/afi-awards-2004/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=American Film Institute |language=en |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619154938/https://www.afi.com/award/afi-awards-2004/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At the [[77th Academy Awards]], Bismuth, Gondry and Kaufman won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]], and Winslet received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]].
In the years since its release, the film has become a [[Cult following|cult classic]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cult Classic: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |url=https://www.joe.ie/uncategorized/cult-classic-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-33102 |access-date=2022-02-20 |website=JOE.ie |language=en |archive-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220133323/https://www.joe.ie/uncategorized/cult-classic-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-33102 |url-status=live }}</ref> it is considered by many publications as one of the best films of the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 21st Century’s 100 greatest films |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dargis |first1=Manohla |author-link1=Manohla Dargis |last2=Scott |first2=A.O. |author-link2=A.O. Scott |title=The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century ... So Far |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/movies/the-25-best-films-of-the-21st-century.html |date=June 9, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=8 July 2017 |archive-date=July 8, 2017 |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 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":A. V. Club">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-films-of-the-00s-1798222348|title=The Best Films of the '00s|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|last2=Rabin|first2=Nathan|date=December 3, 2009|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=July 6, 2018|last3=Phipps|first3=Keith|last4=Robinson|first4=Tasha|last5=Tobias|first5=Scott|archive-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107142951/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-films-of-the-00s,35931/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film has been the inspiration behind several music projects, such as [[Jay Electronica]]'s 2007 piece "Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)", [[Jhené Aiko]]’s 2014 tracks “Spotless Mind” and “Eternal Sunshine”, [[Bastille (band)|Bastille]]’s 2022 single "Remind Me" and [[Ariana Grande]]'s 2024 album ''[[Eternal Sunshine (album)|Eternal Sunshine]]''.
==Plot==
Joel Barish discovers that his estranged girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski, has undergone a procedure to have her memories of him [[Memory erasure|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, New York|Montauk]]. As the memory crumbles around them, Clementine tells Joel to meet her in Montauk.
While Stan is outside, Mary tells Howard she is in love with him and they kiss. Howard's wife arrives and sees them through the window. Furious, 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.
== Cast ==
{{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
}}
* [[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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
* [[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]].<ref name="thedailybeast" />
* [[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.<ref>{{cite web |author=Evans |first=Bradford |date=2013-02-21 |title=The Lost Roles of Seth Rogen |url=https://www.vulture.com/amp/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 (blog)|Vulture]]}}</ref>
* [[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.<ref name="thedailybeast" /><ref name="thedailybeast-ruffalo">{{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}}</ref>
* [[Jane Adams (actress, born 1965)|Jane Adams]] as Carrie Eakin: Joel Barish's friend. She is in a troubled relationship with Rob Eakin.
* [[David Cross]] as Rob Eakin: Joel Barish's friend. In a troubled relationship with Carrie Eakin.
* [[Deirdre O'Connell (actress)|Deirdre O'Connell]] as Hollis Mierzwiak: Howard Mierzwiak's wife
* [[Thomas Jay Ryan]] as Frank: Joel Barish's neighbor
* Debbon Ayer as Joel Barish's mother
* [[Ellen Pompeo]] as Naomi, Joel Barish's girlfriend (deleted scene)
==Production==
=== Development ===
The concept of ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' came from conversations between director [[Michel Gondry]] and co-writer [[Pierre Bismuth]] in 1998.<ref name="scriptmag">{{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}}</ref> The pair had met and become friends in the early 1980s during Gondry's drumming career in the French pop group [[Oui Oui]].<ref name="guardian-lack">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="guardian-lack" /><ref name="Cinephilia">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="dazeddigital">{{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}}</ref> When he mentioned this to Gondry, they developed it into a story based on the situations that would arise if it were scientifically possible.<ref name="guardian-lack" /><ref name="dazeddigital" /> Bismuth never carried out his experiment.<ref name="dazeddigital" />
Gondry approached writer [[Charlie Kaufman]] with this concept,<ref name="Cinephilia" /><ref name="dazeddigital" /> and they developed it into a short pitch.<ref name="Tobias">{{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}}</ref> While the writers did not believe the concept was marketable, a small bidding war began over the idea.<ref name="scriptmag" /><ref name="Tobias" /><ref name="vulture">{{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=[[Grubstreet.com|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}}</ref> [[Steve Golin]] of [[Propaganda Films]] purchased it on June 12, 1998, for a low seven-figure sum.<ref name="dvdtalk-kaufman">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Kaufman, who was responsible for writing the screenplay, did not begin immediately, instead opting to suspend writing while he was working on ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation]]'', ''[[Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (film)|Confessions of a Dangerous Mind]]'', and ''[[Human Nature (2001 film)|Human Nature]]'', the last of which Gondry directed as his [[directorial debut]].<ref name="scriptmag" />
During this time, filmmaker [[Christopher Nolan]] released ''[[Memento (film)|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.<ref name="dvdtalk-kaufman" /> 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.<ref name="scriptmag" /> The final script made the studios nervous.<ref name="scriptmag" />
{{quote box
| quote = How happy is the blameless [[vestal virgin|vestal]]'s lot!<br />The world forgetting, by the world forgot:<br />{{strong|Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind}}!<br />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.<ref name="scriptmag" /><ref name="dazeddigital" /><ref name="vulture" /> 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.<ref name="scriptmag" />
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.<ref name="scriptmag" /> 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."<ref>{{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}}</ref> He eventually decided on ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'', a title originating from the 1717 poem ''[[Eloisa to Abelard]]'' by [[Alexander Pope]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[Alain Resnais]]'s ''[[Je t'aime, je t'aime]]'' (1968) has been cited as an influence on the film.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Filming and post-production ===
[[File:Montauk LIRR train station.jpg|thumb|[[Montauk station]], 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Pavlus">{{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}}</ref> lasting for three months on a budget of $20 million mostly in and around [[New York City]].<ref name="Placa" /><ref name="Pavlus" /> The film was shot on Fuji Reala 500D.<ref name=Pavlus/> The production crew recreated some key scenes, such as Joel's [[Rockville Centre, New York|Rockville Centre]] apartment and the 1950s-style kitchen, in a [[New Jersey]] former U.S. Navy base.<ref name="Pavlus" /> The shoot was difficult, sometimes shooting for 17 hours per day in harsh environments.<ref>{{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=[[Special Broadcasting Service|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}}</ref>
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.<ref name="Pavlus" /> 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 [[Hand-held camera|handheld cameras]] filmed near 360-degree footage at all times, shooting 36,000 feet of film a day to deal with this.<ref name="thedailybeast-ruffalo" /><ref name="Pavlus" /> 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 [[Camera dolly|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.<ref name="Pavlus" />
[[File:Beach in East Hampton.jpg|thumb|left|A beach in [[East Hampton (town)|East Hampton]], near where the film's beach scenes were filmed.]]
The film used minimal [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]], with many effects accomplished [[In-camera effect|in-camera]] through [[forced perspective]]s, hidden space, spotlighting, unsynchronized sound, split focus and [[continuity editing]].<ref name="dazeddigital" /> A notable example is the ocean washing away the house in [[Montauk, New York|Montauk]]; the production team accomplished this by building the corner of a house on the beach and allowing the tide to rise.<ref name="Placa" /> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Kaufman rewrote some of the script during production; thus, several differences exist between the production script and the final film.<ref name="Tobias" /> A fundamental difference is that in the production script, with the erasure of each memory, Clementine's behavior is increasingly robotic.<ref name="scriptmag" /> 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.<ref name="scriptmag" /> [[Tracy Morgan]] was also cut from the film.<ref name="vanityfair15-carrey-gondry">{{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 (magazine)|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 }}</ref> 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.<ref>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.</ref>
[[Valdís Óskarsdóttir]] [[Film editing|edited]] the film, and she reportedly clashed with Gondry during editing.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Kaufman was also very involved in the editing of the film. Editing was a long process as there was no requirement to rush it.<ref name="dvdtalk-kaufman" /><ref name="Tobias" /> There were a few [[test screening]]s of the film, which elicited positive reactions.<ref name="Tobias" />
==Music==
{{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.<ref name="businesswire">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="businesswire" /><ref>{{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}}</ref>
''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".<ref name="allmusic">{{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}}</ref> Other positive reviews noted the [[Ambient music|ambient]] nature of the music and lauded Beck's cover of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime".<ref name="pitchfork">{{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}}</ref> The soundtrack's detractors criticized the album's lack of identity and its depressive atmosphere.<ref name="filmtracks">{{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}}</ref> Even among the detractors, the score's ability to mesh with the plot was lauded, an appraisal common to many reviews.<ref name="allmusic" /><ref name="pitchfork" /><ref name="filmtracks" /><ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Analysis ==
Author Carol Vernallis, writing in ''[[Screen (journal)|Screen]],'' argued that Gondry's experience in directing [[music video]]s 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]].<ref>{{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 (journal)|Screen]]|language=en|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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
''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 (film)|2046]]''. The film showcases memory as fragmented and unreliable, evident by its non-linear structure.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Release ==
=== Box office ===
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.<ref name="BOM">{{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 }}</ref>
==Critical response==
[[File:Kate Winslet 2006 Toronto.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Kate Winslet]]'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 257 reviews, with an average score of 8.2/10. 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."<ref>{{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}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 89 out of 100, based on 41 reviews.<ref>{{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=July 5, 2018|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}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|title=CinemaScore|work=cinemascore.com|access-date=September 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|archive-date=December 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[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."<ref name="Ebert">{{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=March 19, 2004|website=RogerEbert.com|access-date=July 7, 2018|archive-date=July 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706215107/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, he added it to his "[[The Great Movies|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."<ref>{{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=January 2, 2010|website=Rogerebert.suntimes.com|type=Review; 2010 review|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-date=September 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920070116/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-2004-1|url-status=live}}</ref> [[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".<ref>{{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 }}</ref> ''[[Time Out (magazine)|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".<ref>{{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 (magazine)|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 = December 4, 2017 }}</ref> 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."<ref name=":3">{{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=9 June 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=12 June 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|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}}</ref> [[Ross Douthat]] included it on his list, calling it "The most complete and accessible and moving Charlie Kaufman movie".<ref>{{cite news| title=The Best Movies of the 21st Century| author=Ross Douthat| date=June 13, 2017| work=The New York Times| url=https://archive.nytimes.com/douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/the-best-movies-of-the-21st-century/}}</ref>
Winslet and Carrey received widespread praise for their performances. Winslet received multiple award nominations, including an [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Award nomination for Best Actress]],<ref name="oscars" /> a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role<ref name="BAFTA" /> and a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Award]] nomination.<ref name="HFPA" /> [[Premiere (magazine)|''Premiere'']] placed her performance 81st in their 2008 list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.<ref>{{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=December 3, 2008|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=July 7, 2018}}</ref> [[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".<ref>{{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=March 18, 2004|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=December 3, 2017|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}}</ref> [[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."<ref name="Hornaday">{{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=March 19, 2004|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 29, 2018|archive-date=April 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410151550/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/03/19/AR2005033113008.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Carrey also received multiple award nominations, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role<ref name="BAFTA" /> and a Golden Globe nomination.<ref name="HFPA" /> Many reviewers noted his [[Typecasting (acting)|casting against type]]. Jason Killingsworth wrote: "Carrey nails the part, winning audience sympathy from the opening moments of the film".<ref>{{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=June 1, 2004|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|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}}</ref> 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",<ref name="Macdonald">{{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}}</ref> while David Edelstein of [[Slate (magazine)|''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."<ref name="Edelstein">{{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 (magazine)|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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Hornaday" /><ref>{{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=September 29, 2018|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409154032/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/anatomy-of-a-lovers-mind/article742495/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Critics praised Kaufman, and he won numerous awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay.<ref name="oscars" /><ref name="bafta" /> In ''Slate, ''David Edelstein claimed Kaufman had "move[d] the boundary posts of romantic comedy,"<ref name="Edelstein" /> and Moira MacDonald of ''The Seattle Times'' called Kaufman "one of the few creative screenwriters working today."<ref name="Macdonald" /> Kaufman's writing received criticism, with John Powers of the ''[[LA Weekly]]'' claiming it lacked passion<ref>{{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}}</ref> and [[Andrew Sarris]] of ''The Observer'' criticizing the film's "nonexistent character development."<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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".<ref name="Hornaday" /> ''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".<ref name="Macdonald" /> Cinematographer [[Ellen Kuras]] received praise for her work on the film; in an overall negative review,  Stephanie Zacharek of [[Salon (website)|''Salon'']] praised Kuras for giving "the movie a look of dreamy urgency that's perfect for the story".<ref>{{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}}</ref>
''[[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."<ref name=":A. V. Club"/>
==Accolades==
{{Main|List of accolades received by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Award category
! scope="col" | Recipients
! scope="col" | Result
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"|[[77th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref name="oscars">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005|title=Nominees & Winners for the 77th Academy Awards|year=2005|work=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-date=March 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322015116/http://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Kate Winslet]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| [[Pierre Bismuth]], [[Michel Gondry]] and [[Charlie Kaufman]]
| {{Won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="6"|[[58th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4180423.stm|title=Bafta Film Awards 2005: The nominations|year=2005|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-date=December 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214070707/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4180423.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bafta">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4260929.stm|title=Bafta Film Awards 2005: The winners|year=2005|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709160631/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4260929.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| [[Steve Golin]] and Anthony Bregman
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Director]]
| Michel Gondry
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Charlie Kaufman
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
| [[Jim Carrey]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]
| Kate Winslet
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| [[Valdís Óskarsdóttir]]
| {{Won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4"|[[62nd Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]<ref name="HFPA">{{cite web|url=http://www.hfpa.org/browse/?param=/year/2005|title=The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005)|year=2005|work=[[Golden Globe Award]]|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-date=October 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018024414/http://www.hfpa.org/browse/?param=%2Fyear%2F2005|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
|Steve Golin and Anthony Bregman
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Charlie Kaufman
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
| Jim Carrey
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical]]
| Kate Winslet
| {{Nom}}
|-
! scope="row"|[[Hugo Award]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2005-hugo-awards/|title=2005 Hugo Awards|date=July 24, 2007|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-date=May 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507164805/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/credits/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation]]
| Pierre Bismuth, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman
| {{Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" |[[National Board of Review Awards 2004|National Board of Review]]<ref>{{cite web |title=2004 Award Winners |url=http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2004/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504081947/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2004/ |archive-date=May 4, 2022 |access-date=September 27, 2018 |website=National Board of Review}}</ref>
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Charlie Kaufman
| {{Won}}
|-
! scope="row" |[[Writers Guild of America Awards 2004|Writers Guild of America]]<ref>{{cite news |date=February 20, 2005 |title=Quirky movies win script awards |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4281705.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927204353/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4281705.stm |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |access-date=September 27, 2018 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Pierre Bismuth, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman
| {{Won}}
|}
=== Home media ===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+Universal Home Entertainment release Formats and Dates
!Format
!Location
!Release Date
|-
|[[VHS]]
|U.S.
|September 28, 2004<ref name="NUM" />
|-
|[[DVD]]
|U.S.
|September 28, 2004<ref name="NUM">{{cite web|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Financial Information|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind|access-date=2021-10-29|website=The Numbers|archive-date=July 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704213729/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[HD DVD]]
|U.S.
|April 24, 2007<ref>{{cite web|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind HD DVD Review|url=https://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/685/eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=hddvd.highdefdigest.com|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029144334/https://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/685/eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Blu-ray]]
|U.S.
|January 25, 2011<ref>{{Citation|title=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Blu-ray|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-Blu-ray/16770/|access-date=2021-10-29|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029144332/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind-Blu-ray/16770/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}
''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] by [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios Home Video]] on September 28, 2004,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> selling a combined total of over 600,000 units on the first day.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Among the add-ons included were deleted scenes.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> It debuted at number 11 on the VHS rental chart,<ref>{{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}}</ref> as well as number three on the DVD sales chart.<ref>{{cite news |title=Video Lists |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-belleville-news-democrat/147526813/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[The Belleville News-Democrat]] |date=15 October 2004 |page=28}}</ref>
A two-disc Collector's Edition was later released on January 4, 2005.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 |language=en}}</ref> It was later released on [[HD DVD]] on April 24, 2007,<ref>{{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 |language=en}}</ref> and on [[Blu-ray]] on January 25, 2011.<ref>{{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 |language=en |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 }}</ref><ref>{{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 |language=en |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 }}</ref> On July 26, 2022, [[Kino Lorber Studio Classics]] released ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' on [[4K Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray.]]<ref>{{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}}</ref> This release included a new color grading supervised by cinematographer [[Ellen Kuras]].<ref>{{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 |language=en |archive-date=August 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830152406/https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/9111 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Legacy ==
===Music===
American singer-songwriter [[Halsey (singer)|Halsey]] sampled dialogue from the film for her song "Ashley", the opening track on her 2020 album, [[Manic (Halsey album)|''Manic'']],<ref>{{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/}}</ref> as well as the following track "[[Clementine (Halsey song)|Clementine]]" being titled after and lyrically inspired by Winslet's character.<ref>{{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 |language=en-US}}</ref>
American post-hardcore band [[Circa Survive]] released their first record, [[Juturna (album)| ''Juturna'']],<ref>{{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/}}</ref> in 2005. While the album is primarily about lead singer [[Anthony Green (musician)|Anthony Green]]'s battle with addiction and substance abuse, the film is referenced both directly and indirectly in its lyrics.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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)|''Act'' ''1:'' ''Eternal'' ''Sunshine'' ''(The'' ''Pledge)'']].<ref>{{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 (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/ }}</ref>
American rapper and record producer [[Mac Miller]] sampled a track of [[Jon Brion]]'s film score for his 2013 song "The Quest".<ref>{{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 |language=en-US}}</ref>
American singer-songwriter [[Jhené Aiko]] said the film inspired the songs "Eternal Sunshine" and "[[Spotless Mind]]" on her 2014 debut album, [[Souled Out (Jhené Aiko album)|''Souled'' ''Out'']].<ref>{{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/}}</ref>
South Korean singer-songwriter [[Taeyeon]] took inspiration from the film in the music video for her song "[[What Do I Call You (song)|What Do I Call You]]", the title track on her [[What Do I Call You|2020 EP with the same name]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter [[B.I (rapper)|B.I]] said that the film inspired his song "Tangerine", the fourth track on his 2022 release ''[[Love or Loved Part.1]]''.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
American singer-songwriter [[Ariana Grande]] titled her 2024 album ''[[Eternal Sunshine (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, contain references to the film.<ref>{{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 |language=en}}</ref>
===Video games===
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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
===Media recognition===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Presenter
! Title
! Rank
! Notes
|-
| 2005
| align=center | ''[[Writers Guild of America West|Writers Guild of America]]''
| align=center | 101 Greatest Screenplays
| align=center | 24
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays|title=101 Greatest Screenplays|date=2005|website=Writers Guild of America West|access-date=June 6, 2018|archive-date=May 2, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200502131453/https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/list|title=101 Greatest Screenplays Full List|date=2005|website=Writers Guild of America West|access-date=June 6, 2018|archive-date=November 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130130322/https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/list|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2008
| align=center | ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]''
| align=center |[[Empire (film magazine)#The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time|The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time]]
| align=center | 73
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/500/85.asp|title=The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time|date=November 2008|website=Empire|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021123702/http://www.empireonline.com/500/85.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2013|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=5 | 2009
| align=center | ''[[Time Out New York]]''
| align=center | The TONY Top 50 Movies of the Decade
| align=center | 3
|<ref>{{cite journal|date=November 26 – December 2, 2009|title=The TONY top 50 movies of the decade|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/the-tony-top-50-movies-of-the-decade#tab_panel_5|journal=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out New York]]|issue=739|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=June 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626135336/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/the-tony-top-50-movies-of-the-decade#tab_panel_5|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| align=center | ''[[Slant Magazine]]''
| align=center | The 100 Best Films of the Aughts
| align=center | 86
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/best-of-the-aughts-film/216/page_2|title=The 100 Best Films of the Aughts|date=February 7, 2010|work=[[Slant Magazine]]|access-date=February 10, 2010|archive-date=February 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211121924/http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/best-of-the-aughts-film/216/page_2|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| align=center | ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]''
| align=center | The 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000-2009)
| align=center | 5
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/50-best-movies-of-the-decade-2000-2009.html?p=2|title=The 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000–2009)|date=November 3, 2009|work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=August 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816124950/https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/50-best-movies-of-the-decade-2000-2009.html?p=2|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| align=center | ''[[The A.V. Club]]''
| align=center | The Best Films of the '00s
| align=center | 1
|<ref name=":A. V. Club"/>
|-
| align=center | ''[[Metacritic]]''
| align=center | Film Critics Pick the Best Movies of the Decade
| align=center | 2
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-pick-the-best-movies-of-the-decade|title=Film Critics Pick the Best Movies of the Decade|date=January 3, 2010|work=Metacritic|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816003541/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-pick-the-best-movies-of-the-decade|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 2016
| align=center | ''[[BBC]]''
| align=center |[[BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century|The 21st Century's 100 Greatest Films]]
| align=center | 6
|<ref name="bbc100">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films|title=The 21st Century's 100 Greatest Films|date=August 23, 2016|publisher=BBC|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=January 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131124228/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2018
| align=center | ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]''
| align=center |[[Empire (film magazine)#The 100 Greatest Movies|The 100 Greatest Movies]]
| align=center | 41
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies/|title=The 100 Greatest Movies|date=March 20, 2018|website=Empire|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706075658/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies/|archive-date=July 6, 2018|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| align=center | ''They Shoot Pictures Don't They''
| align=center | The 21st Century's Most Acclaimed Films
| align=center | 13
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theyshootpictures.com/21stcentury_rankinghistory.htm|title=The 21st Century's Most Acclaimed Films (Ranking History)|website=They Shoot Pictures Don't They|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=July 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706104052/http://www.theyshootpictures.com/21stcentury_rankinghistory.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2022
| align=center | ''[[Sight and Sound]]''
| align=center | Directors’ 100 Greatest Films of All Time
| align=center | 99
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Directors' 100 Greatest Films of All Time |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/directors-100-greatest-films-all-time |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref>
|}
==See also==
* "[[Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind]]"
* ''[[Eternal Sunshine (album)|Eternal Sunshine]]''
* [[Lucid dream]]
* [[List of films considered the best]]
== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AllMovie 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 = [[List of accolades received by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind|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:American independent 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 in 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:American mad scientist films]]
[[Category:Postmodern films]]
[[Category:Hard science fiction films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]