<P> Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction comedy - drama film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry . It follows an estranged couple who have erased each other from their memories, then, started dating again . Pierre Bismuth created the story with Kaufman and Gondry . The ensemble cast includes Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson . The title of the film is a quotation from Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope . </P> <P> The film uses elements of the psychological thriller and a nonlinear narrative to explore the nature of memory and romantic love . It opened in North America to wide acclaim on March 19, 2004, and grossed over $70 million worldwide . It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Winslet received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress . The film developed a cult following in the years after its release, and is now regarded by many critics as one of the greatest films of the 21st century . </P> <P> Shy, soft - spoken Joel Barish and unrestrained free - spirit Clementine Kruczynski begin a relationship on a Long Island Rail Road train from Montauk, New York to Rockville Centre . They are immediately drawn to each other, despite their contrasting personalities, as they both felt the need to travel to Montauk that day . Although they do not remember it, Joel and Clementine are, in fact, former lovers, now separated after spending two years together . After a fight, Clementine had hired the New York City firm Lacuna, Inc. to erase all of her memories of their relationship . Upon discovering this from his friends Rob and Carrie, Joel was devastated and decided to undergo the procedure himself, a process that takes place while he sleeps . </P> <P> Much of the film subsequently takes place in Joel's mind, during this memory erasure procedure . Joel finds himself revisiting his memories of Clementine in reverse, starting from the disintegration of their relationship . As he comes across happier, positive memories of Clementine early in his relationship, he decides to preserve at least some memory of her and his love for her, trying to evade the procedure by taking his idealized memory of Clementine into memories not related to her, or waking up to stop the process . Despite his efforts, the memories are steadily erased . He comes to the last remaining memory of Clementine, the day he had first met her at a beach house in Montauk . As this memory disintegrates around them, she tells him, "Meet me in Montauk ." </P>

Where is eternal sunshine of the spotless mind set