This year in 2024, many movies are hitting milestone anniversaries of their release dates. A cult-classic movie hitting its twentieth anniversary is ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, released on March 19th, 2004, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, directed by Michel Gondry.  With an initial budget of $20 million, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ grossed $74 million during its runtime, becoming an instant box office success. 

Actor Jim Carrey is mostly known for his comedic roles in movies like ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, ‘Dumb and Dumber’, ‘The Mask’ and ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’. Carrey has done work in many lighthearted classics; however, he has also worked on more serious roles. Possibly the most iconic Jim Carrey movie ‘The Truman Show’, which is a “psychological comedy-drama”, shows the wide range of Carrey’s acting abilities by showcasing his work with both comedic scenes and his more serious scenes.  

However, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, is a complete contrast from Carrey’s typical work. This sci-fi/romance film has been nominated for over a hundred awards worldwide, winning over seventy, beautifully illustrates the range Carrey and his co-star, Winslet, have in their acting.

The movie follows Joel, an introverted young man and Clementine, his eccentric ex-girlfriend. In this science-fiction reality, people can undergo a procedure that can erase a person from their memories entirely. Joel learns that Clementine has gone through this procedure to forget him, and in response to the brutal realization, decides to go through what Clementine did to him. Forgetting Clementine forever. 

As Joel relives his memories with his ex-girlfriend, starting from their last fight and back-tracking to the beginning of their relationship, he slowly realizes that he does not wish to forget her. But it’s too late, the process had already begun… 

It may seem like the movie has a definite ending; however, viewers have been shocked by the way it does end. There won’t be any spoilers in here because if some people haven’t already seen it, they need to.  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a masterpiece of a movie, featuring incredible actors and an incredible storyline, compelling viewers to think of the possibilities of soulmates and love.