“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) is one of my favorite movies ever. it’s such a deep and thought-provoking film on so many levels. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslett were amazing in their roles. The directing and editing were astounding as the story jumps in and out of Joel’s memories perfectly.
At the core of the story is the basic question, “Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?” The ending of the movie answers this age old question emphatically when Joel replies with a simple one word answer. Awesome ending which concludes with a beautiful Beck version of “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime”.
I really liked the idea that we could someday go somewhere and have our painful memories erased and deleted from our minds. However, the movie slowly shows that this might not actually be such a great idea after all. Our memories, good AND bad, make us who we are. The painful times go hand in hand with the times of bliss and joy. They are two sides of the same coin. I loved Joel’s desperate attempts to stop the erasure of his memories of Clementine. It was so powerful. I think this is a great film. It makes you realize how important all those heartaches and heartbreaks were in your life and you come away feeling grateful for it all. After all, it’s all part of our human experience.
Here are some clips including the amazing ending.