Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind poster

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004108 minutesR
3.4
Arcplot Score
📝 Unconventional
Unverified
⭐ 8.3IMDb
🍅 93%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 89/100Metacritic
🎬 8.1TMDb
📊 8.6Popularity
🏆Won 1 Oscar. 73 wins & 111 nominations total
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Written by: Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth
Much to his surprise, timid Joel Barish is shocked to discover that the love of his life, sparky Clementine, has had him erased from her memory. To pay her back in the same coin, poor Joel summons up the courage to undergo a painless but intricate medical procedure to do the same, utterly unaware that darkness is an essential part of the light. Now, as hurt and angry Joel's ugly recollections of Clementine gradually fade away, giving way to a soulless black void, suddenly, he begins having second thoughts, toying with the idea of stopping the irreversible process. In the end, is ignorance really bliss?

Box Office

Budget:$20.0M
Revenue:$72.3M
Profit:$52.3M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision5.1/10
Emotional Arc Impact1/10
Thematic Consistency4/10
Overall Score3.4/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Arcplot
1
Opening Image
0 min
2
Theme Stated
5 min
3
Set-Up
15 min
4
Catalyst
30 min
5
Debate
35 min
6
Break Into Two
45 min
7
B Story
50 min
8
Fun and Games
70 min
9
Midpoint
75 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
85 min
11
All Is Lost
90 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
94 min
13
Break Into Three
98 min
14
Finale
104 min
15
Final Image
107 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

0 min

Joel wakes up and feels a deep sadness and emptiness, establishing his lonely, melancholic emotional state.

#2

Theme Stated

5 min

The fragility of memory and love is highlighted when Joel meets Clementine and their attraction is immediate but complicated.

#3

Set-Up

15 min

Joel and Clementine's relationship begins with awkward charm, contrasting personalities, and glimpses of emotional intimacy.

#4

Catalyst

30 min

Joel discovers that Clementine has undergone a procedure to erase all memories of him, sparking his journey to understand and confront their relationship.

#5

Debate

35 min

Joel struggles with whether to let Clementine go or fight against the memory erasure, questioning the meaning of love and loss.

#6

Break Into Two

45 min

Joel enters the surreal memory-erasure process, traveling backward through his memories of Clementine, attempting to preserve their love within his mind.

#7

B Story

50 min

Inside the memories, Joel revisits joyful and painful moments, reflecting on how relationships shape identity and emotional growth.

#8

Fun and Games

70 min

The film explores inventive memory sequences — surreal landscapes, shifting time, and playful yet poignant interactions with Clementine.

#9

Midpoint

75 min

Joel realizes that he still loves Clementine despite knowing she chose to erase him, raising the stakes emotionally and thematically.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

85 min

Memories begin to collapse as the erasure nears completion. Joel's fear of losing Clementine forever intensifies.

#11

All Is Lost

90 min

Joel faces the void of Clementine's absence in his life, confronting the inevitability of memory loss and the fragility of love.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

94 min

Joel searches desperately within his memories to hide Clementine from erasure, questioning the nature of identity, attachment, and emotional resilience.

#13

Break Into Three

98 min

Joel attempts to escape the memory erasure process, working to preserve their love and reconcile with the inevitability of loss.

#14

Finale

104 min

Joel and Clementine awaken after the procedure with fragmented memories. They choose to reconnect, embracing love despite its impermanence.

#15

Final Image

107 min

Joel and Clementine walk along the beach together, uncertain but willing to embrace the future and each other, symbolizing hope and emotional resilience.