Welcome to the final part of my Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind series! After spending the whole semester writing about this movie and the various pieces that bring it together, I will finally be talking about what the movie means as a whole and predicting what Joel and Clementine’s future looks like. I will also be discussing a common theory shared among fans and video essay creators!
This is, of course, my interpretation. As I have said, this movie has so much to it, and with every rewatch, I am constantly changing my mind about what things like Clementine’s orange sweater mean (I still haven’t confidently interpreted that). I hope you enjoy!
The “Complete” Picture
At its core, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind focuses on the pain and regret love can cause us; it can be simply interpreted as that. However, while this interpretation isn’t wrong, I don’t think it encompasses the movie’s overall meaning. Instead, I interpret the movie as a testament to relationships’ importance. For example, for many of us, relationships serve as both experiences and lessons. They teach us who we can and can’t trust and what boundaries we do and don’t accept for ourselves or our partners. In Joel and Clem’s case, they’re relationship reveals what lifestyles they prefer. Joel is a quiet, simple, work-and-go-home kind of guy. On the contrary, Clementine is a more eccentric and impulsive character: she’s not afraid of the rules or exploration. At the movie’s end, we find out that the two broke up because their personalities didn’t match each other. Joel talks about how Clem was too much, while Clem talks about how Joel was too little or too boring. The two showed each other what they did and didn’t want in their relationship.
A second idea shared in Eternal Sunshine is how essential pain is in life. As depressing as it may sound, this movie shares how all memories, even painful ones, shape us and lead to growth. If we actually had the ability to erase memories, we’d make the same mistakes over and over again, and we’d never move forward. To return to my first point on relationships’ importance, the pain that comes from those memories is important as well, as it teaches us what we do and don’t want in a relationship. Memories of the beginnings and endings of our relationships may be painful to look back on (especially those in the beginning), but they help us recognize patterns and determine what we should or shouldn’t avoid in our next relationship. Pain allows us to grow in life, just as failing is a part of success.
While I intend to discuss this next point in more depth in the next section, many fans have shared a theory that, after Joel and Clem reunite post-brain procedure, they continue to repeat the same process over and over. They date, break up, and go through another brain procedure just to find each other once again. As a result, they never learn from their mistakes and never move forward. Additionally, this movie shows us how “erasing” painful memories does not lead to “Eternal Sunshine” or a life without pain and misery. Both Joel and Clem erase their memories to free themselves from the misery they brought each other; however, Joel wakes up in a miserable mood the next day, while Clem has an existential crisis. Both continue to be miserable, even without the other in their memories.
I wouldn’t say “embrace the pain” because I wouldn’t even do that, but acknowledge the pain and remember that you’re human. It happens, but you’ll pick yourself back up and learn from that experience. And of course, remember there is no deadline for when you should feel better.
Clem and Joel’s future?
I love bittersweet endings! Or at least ones that are up to your interpretation, just like Eternal Sunshine‘s closing. After Joel and Clem find out about the procedures they had and what led to the ending of their relationship, the two decide to try again. As an optimist, the first time I watched this movie, I thought, “Well, now they know each other’s flaws, so they should be able to succeed in this next try.” However, if anything, I think it just sets them up to fail again or have a more insecure relationship. Clem will have to be careful with the way she expresses herself, or else Joel will get fed up, and Joel will have to be more outgoing, or else Clem will get bored with him again. In all honesty, I have no idea what is in store for these two.
As I previously stated, a very popular theory is that Clem and Joel repeat this erasing and meeting process all over again, leaving them in a constant repeating cycle of despair. This is due to the movie ending with Joel and a red-haired Clem running together on the beach in Montauk on repeat. As much as I like this theory, I want to think this isn’t the reality. I want to think that because they are aware of Lacuna, Inc., they avoid the company altogether and go through with a regular relationship, whether they have a healthier, longer relationship or end up not working out together.
I, however, won’t be opposed to the first theory if it is ever confirmed!
Conclusion
As I write this, it actually bothers me that I will never have a solid idea of what to expect for Joel and Clementine, but that’s the fun in movies like this! I hope you enjoyed reading about my thoughts on this heart-wrenching movie and that I may have encouraged you to watch this movie and make your own theories/interpretations.