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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Movie Poster
Plot, Details & Awards

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Rated R for language, some drug use, and sexual content.

R In Theaters 03/19/2004 , 108min.
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Plot & Details

The second feature from director Michel Gondry (Human Nature) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for this off-the-wall romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure performed by Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). Not to be outdone, Joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. As Mierzwiak's bumbling underlings Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood) perform the operation on Joel -- over the course of an evening, in his apartment -- Joel struggles in his own mind to save the memories of Clementine from being deleted. Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, and Jane Adams also star.
  • MPAA Rating: R
  • Genre(s): Comedy,Drama,Romance,Science Fiction
  • Run Time: 108min.
  • Theatrical Release Date: 03/19/2004
  • DVD Release Date: 09/28/2004
  • Distributor(s): Focus Features
  • Director(s): Michel Gondry
  • Starring: Jim Carrey , Kate Winslet , Tom Wilkinson , Mark Ruffalo , Kirsten Dunst
  • Themes: Experiments Gone Awry,Love Triangles,Breakups and Divorces
  • Tone: Drab,Frantic,Cerebral,Melancholy,Clever,Quirky,Wintry,Bittersweet
  • Keywords: amnesia,brain-surgery,break-up [romantic],ex-girlfriend,heartbreak,love-at-first-sight,love-triangle,memory
  • Country of Origin: USA (03-19-2004)
  • Language: English

Awards

Academy Awards

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay Charlie Kaufman Won
2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay Pierre Bismuth Won
2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay Michel Gondry Won
2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actress Kate Winslet Nominated

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Picture Nominated
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Editing Valdís Óskarsdóttir Won
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Screenplay Charlie Kaufman Won
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Director Michel Gondry Nominated
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actor Jim Carrey Nominated
2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actress Kate Winslet Nominated

Golden Globes

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
2004 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay Charlie Kaufman Nominated
2004 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Kate Winslet Nominated
2004 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Jim Carrey Nominated
2004 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Musical or Comedy Nominated