Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichel Gondry
Screenplay byCharlie Kaufman
Story by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEllen Kuras
Edited byValdís Óskarsdóttir
Music byJon Brion
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features
Release date
  • March 19, 2004 (2004-03-19) (United States)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million
Box office$73.3 million

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American science fiction romantic drama film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman from a story by Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth. It stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as a couple who undergo memory erasure after they break up. Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson appear in supporting roles. The title of the film is a quotation from the 1717 poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope. It uses elements of psychological drama and science fiction and a nonlinear narrative to explore the nature of memory and love.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was released in theaters in the United States by Focus Features on March 19, 2004, to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the script and direction. The film was a box office success, grossing $73.3 million on a $20 million budget, and was named by the American Film Institute one of the Top 10 Films of 2004. At the 77th Academy Awards, Bismuth, Gondry and Kaufman won Best Original Screenplay, and Winslet received a nomination for Best Actress.

The film has been named by several publications as one of the greatest of the 21st century and gained a cult following. It inspired music projects such as Jay Electronica's 2007 piece "Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)", Jhené Aiko's 2014 track "Spotless Mind" and Ariana Grande's 2024 album Eternal Sunshine.