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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Shooting Script Series)

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"Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!/Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd... Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n,/Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n." The original Alexander Pope poem suits the movie whose title it inspired, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," a unique, surreal film about memories, love and sorrow.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" deals with timid, conservative Joel, who bumps into ex-girlfriend Clementine at a store -- and finds she doesn't remember him. He finds a notice in his mail that she has had him erased from her memories, and angrily decides to have the same done. But during the procedure, Joel revisits the good times they had together, and finds that he doesn't want to lose his memories with Clementine.

This movie, by Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman, was one of the best of 2004, and one that isn't quickly forgotten. The screenplay is an excellent accompaniment; if there is a line or an image that didn't seem to make sense, it might make more sense here. "Eternal Sunshine" fans will also like the scenes that never made it to the final cut, and one scene got shuffled around.

Additionally, there is an interview at the end with Kaufman. In it, he describes his writing background, his collaborations with Gondry, clashes with Ben Affleck's horrific "Paycheck," memory, and that wonderful "Velveteen Rabbit" scene. Although, it could have used more of Kaufman's thoughts on the final product and the actors.

The stumbling blocks? Don't try reading the screenplay BEFORE seeing the movie, or you will be hopelessly lost. The script cuts wildly from the past, the present, inside and outside the characters' heads. It works wonderfully on the screen, but on paper it's hard to visualize just by the words alone. That, and this richly visual film is only represented by some murky black-and-white photos.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a wonderful script, which spawned a wonderful film. And for fans of that film, this is an excellent accompaniment and resource.

This was a movie I didn't expect to like. I hadn't heard that much about it and wasn't all that enthusiastic about seeing another Jim Carey movie. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

First of all, this movie is truly original. That's rare these days. It revolves around the premise that you can erase someone from your memories. In this case, the "someone" to be erased is Kate Winslet's character of Clementine. She is wacky and artsy, and plays against Carey's straightlaced character Joel perfectly. I had just seen an interview with Winslet before this movie and was amazed at her accurate American accent. Very well done.

And Carey is brilliant. His toned down, not over the top portrayal of Joel was delightful and wonderful. This is the first time I actually thought of Carey as a very good actor. Both Carey and Winslet deserve an Oscar for this film.

In addition, the film is beautifully shot as well. This could have been a very goofy movie, with a premise that was hard to actually get into and believe, but this film worked perfectly on all accounts: writing, cinematography, acting. I would recommend this film to anyone that wants to see a thoroughly enjoyable, funny, sweet, interesting, wonderful film that is unlike any you've seen before.

From the author of The Difference Now, A New Dish, and At the Coffee Shop. (www.thedifferencenow.com).

By fusing his already proven intellectual prowess with a warm, beating heart, Kaufman has devised his most affecting work yet.

On its own terms, this is a lovely read - a rare screenplay that attains the readability of great fiction, rich as it is with deeply flawed, loveable characters. When compared to the Michel Gondry film it spawned, this truly reveals itself as a catch. The opportunity to study two media, two auteurs at the top of their game, and one heartbreaking story told in two strikingly different but profoundly similar ways is one rarely afforded to the movie lover; take it while you can.

If the box office is any indication, it may soon be but a memory...

Charlie Kaufman has proved himself to far more than a screenwriter by now--a geniune auteur. ETERNAL SUNSHINE has all of the cerebral acrobatics of his earlier works, but far more heart. Beneath all of the inventiveness and camera tricks, there's one of the more real and honest love stories written in the past twenty years. Audiences don't BUY love stories easily nowadays, and Kaufman manages to pen two truly eccentric, difficult, and lovable people, and make us understand and accept the sacrifices they make in order to be together. I can't say enough about his work, and the great irony is that mainstream HOLLYWOOD movies are the medium for the most inventive writer in America today.

This is a truly beautiful movie. I seriously think it is one of Jim Carey's best films. The cinematography is provocative and intelligent. The acting is flawless. And the plot is a well devised mesh of fantastical conception and blatant realism mixed with subtle humor. It should have one an award. It was certaintly better than Million Dollar Baby.

this is a brilliant affecting screenplay..like much of kaufman's work it combines inventivness and originality with the creation of well drawn poignant complex characters trying to make sense of and live as best they can in this world we live in. amidst all the craziness and surreal aspects of his work there's a real humanism that shines through...i once read in an interview charlie did that he consider's himself primarily a book person not a film person..i loved that...the world needs more screenwriters who look at themselves as primarily book people particularly when they can team up with such visual artists as michel gondry or spike jonz..no wonder these collaboratons produce such great films..these artists perfectley complement each other..nonetheless this screenplay stands on it's own as a work of art..

IT WAS A GREAT BOOK I PROMISE AND WILL REFER TO ANYONE ALSO THE MOVIE IS ALSO GREAT GET IT WHILE YOU CAN.

This is a unique, imaginative, well crafted screenplay by Charlie Kaufman.
Like so many, I love the premise. "What if in your mail you find a kind of official card stipulating: 'We are acknowledging, Joel that Clementine has had you erased from her memory. Please do n't try and reach her."
And yet in the hands of an average screenwriter the movie could have been an average Hollywood film full of gags and predictable characters.
Instead Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is an excellent plotted script where Kaufman instead of trying to get it right has celebrated and had fun with his creativity and constructed a brillant insightful story...Reminding us all of our own humanity and providing us to be a fly on the wall in the world of unforgettable characters.
Even if your like myself who own the DVD there are gems in the script that ended up on the cutting room floor in particular the Velveteen Rabbit scene. Which is just beautiful.

A Hollywood film script book from Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (whose previous credits include "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation"), for the very highly acclaimed film "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind", this provides the reader with a 165-page shooting script in book form and will prove to be a welcome addition to the growing library of Hollywood film scripts and "must" reading for aspiring film students. Enhanced with a Q&A with Kaufman, black/white movie stills with commentary, and complete cast and crew credits, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind will also prove of great interest to the legions of Jim Carrey fans who enjoyed his performance as Joel, a young man who wants to have the painful memories of his girlfriend Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) erased from his mind.

Charlie Kaufmen has done it again with his new phenominal film eternal sunshine of the spotless mind a must have for CK or MG fans