Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson

Director Michel Gondry

Release Date

March 19, 2004

MPAA Rating

R - for language, some drug use and sexual content

Genre

Comedy, Romance

Running Time

108 minutes

Overview:

Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned when he learns that his one-time girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their failed relationship erased. Now he wants her gone from his memory and asks the doctor who invented the process (Tom Wilkinson) for help. But as the procedure slowly destroys his memories of Clementine, Joel recalls the good times they had together and tries to mentally overcome the procedure while he sleeps.

Review:

This movie is unlike other stories which are chronologically told, it begins with the greatest point of conflict, where Joel and Clem are ready to split in their relationship. It tells of it in reverse, showing how the relationship began, and fading away from the relationship's anger towards first love. So actually, the idea seems splendid, if it follows how we want.

We want them to come out of this relationship of a headache into true love. But it doesn't go that way. Instead, it goes downhill, where Joel and Clem label their relationship as lost. There is no moral, though as people we do have a moral standard where we as well as our relationships can improve. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman refused to put a moral in this film. This film puts a cynical spin on human relationship and life. It objects to the fact that people can change, which the Bible clearly tells us. It is that though we are fallen, through God's guidance we can improve. We are slaves, but through God, we are free. But Joel and Clementine seem to just want some sunshine before the darkness comes forever.

The film has much sexual content, with scenes of nudity and sex. There is also profanity many times throughout. Drugs and alcohol come in many scenes, especially because Clementine is an alcoholic.

Most important, the film gives this sad and hopeless story about two lost souls with nothing greater than just temporary spur. The bible rejects this completely, and as Christians, we know there is much more to life than this. The 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is just a representation of how fallen the culture of this world has become, but we don't have to see it to know that. Instead, we already have everything we need right in front of us; it is the Word that gives us hope and true joy. And it is only through this that we can change this world.