
When, afterwards, we discussed the ending, we realized that we had drastically different views of what had happened, and we put a lot of meaning into that. I remember seeing Eternal Sunshine in theaters with my now-husband, and in hindsight, it probably wasn't the best date movie. Through the actions of a disgruntled Lacuna employee, though, they learn about their former romance, and have to decide whether or not to try again.
#Movies like eternal sunshine of the spotless mind movie#
As such, he fights to save his memories of Clementine as they wander in and out of his mind, and although his attempts are unsuccessful, the end of the movie reveals that he and Clementine do indeed find each other again despite having no recollection of their previous relationship. In retaliation, Joel has the same procedure performed on himself, though he ends up regretting the decision. After their breakup, Joel learns that Clementine has had all memories of him erased by a company called Lacuna in a bizarre neurological procedure. As you probably recall, Eternal Sunshine portrays the relationship between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) in non-linear fashion, with fragmented memories and flashbacks.

If you look back on it now, you'll realize that Eternal Sunshine is actually far less depressing than you remember. While you might remember the movie as having nothing but sorrow, with an especially tragic ending, that's actually not the case. Few movies capture that see-saw of ups and downs like 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which turns 15 this March. Love, relationships, and life are all ever-changing: not always joyful and not always sad, but shifting back and forth between moments of bliss and emotional destruction.
