Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) was written by Charlie Kaufman, who worked on the story with the film's director Michel Gondry, and with Pierre Bismuth, a French performance artist. The idea started with Bismuth, who, according to Kaufman, mailed a note to Gondry and several other friends explaining that he'd had them erased from his memory, in order to see what their reactions would be.
The plot of the film is somewhat difficult to follow for the passive viewer as it does not progress in a traditional linear order. Rather the main plot moves in a reverse chronology in the memories of the main character, while occasionally leaving to a shorter timeline in which present events are progressing linearly. The story involves two lovers Joel Barish (Jim Carey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) who after a nasty breakup decide to have each other erased from their memories. They go to the offices of Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, head of the Lacuna, Inc. which specializes specifically in erasing memories. Initially Joel meets Clementine at a beach party he attends in Montauk with his friends Rob and Carrie. He is immediately attracted to her, but is too shy and leaves her without pursuing the attraction. Later, however, he goes to her work at Barnes and Noble and asks her out. She accepts and they become a couple. After two years however, their relationship begins to decline. One day while together at a flea market they get into an argument about children. Clementine wishes to have a child, but Joel wonders if she is actually capable of raising another human being. This conflict goes relatively unresolved and Clementine goes out on her own later that evening. She returns at around three in the morning, very drunk, and reveals to Joel that she "kinda, sorta, wrecked [his] car." He is very angry, but Clem argues that Joel is not so much angry about the car, as he is worried that she slept with another man. Joel responds that he simply