Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Page #6

JOEL:

I should maybe talk to you.

VOICE-OVER

Clementine. I should just maybe talk to

her.

Joel rises and heads toward Clementine.

JOEL:

I love you and if you knew that... if I

told you what happened... I'll explain

everything, what we meant to each other.

I'll tell you everything about our time

together. You'll know everything again

and...

VOICE-OVER

Maybe if I just explain what happened, I

wouldn't have to go through this and I

could tell you everything and it would be

like you knew and we could rebuild and we

could be happy again and...

Right before Joel gets there, Patrick, a skinny young man

approaches Clementine. Joel stops, watches. The young man

seems out of breath. He glances over at Joel, then taps

Clementine on the shoulder. She turns, annoyed, sees who it

is and her face lights up.

JOEL:

Clementine.

VOICE-OVER

That's your look for me.

Clementine giggles, stands and pokes Patrick playfully in the

ribs.

PATRICK:

I just thought I'd say hi. I was in the

neighborhood.

CLEMENTINE:

You were not.

PATRICK:

I was not.

Joel is mesmerized by their familiarity. As he stands there,

the scene starts to dry out.

Clementine and Patrick continue their flirtation but it's

turning lifeless, as if they are just reciting lines. The

bookstore start to lose its color and immediacy.

CLEMENTINE:

Come over after I'm done here?

PATRICK:

I can't. I want to, but I have to study.

CLEMENTINE:

You rat.

PATRICK:

I really want to, but tonight's

important. Test tomorrow.

JOEL:

How could she have done this to me? How

could anyone do this to anyone?

CLEMENTINE:

(to Patrick)

You didn't say anything about my hair.

PATRICK:

It's so cool. You're by far the most

sensational person in the room.

CLEMENTINE:

In the room?

PATRICK:

In the world.

Joel seems dazed, in some sort of dream confusion, as he

realizes the world around him is looking increasingly odd.

JOEL:

What's happening here?

(looks at watch; it's 9:30)

Oh, God! I have to go home. They'll be

there soon.

Joel turns to leave.

INT. JOEL'S CAR - NIGHT

Joel drives fast, recklessly. The intensity is back. He's

weeping as he drives.

JOEL:

Gotta get home. How could she do this to

me?

How could she not care about what we

meant to each other. What a f***! What

a f***ing monster she is!

VOICE-OVER

Oh, God. I miss her. I can't believe

she's with that guy now! I'm never going

to see her again. I love her so much.

What a f***ing monster she is!

The scene is faded as he parks in front of his apartment

building, and gets out of the car. Joel spots the parked

van. We've seen this before, but it's dried out now.

JOEL:

Them.

EXT. NEW YORK STREET - DAY

Joel trudges along carrying two big trash bags full of stuff.

He's been crying. He looks behind him and finds himself

looking out the window of his apartment at the dark van on

the snowy street. He turns back to the New York Street and

spots the address he was looking for: 610 11th Avenue.

INT. WAITING ROOM - DAY

Joel sits in the small room with his bags. A woman across

from him cradles a box full of belongings in her lap. Her

eyes are red from crying. Mary, the receptionist, pokes her

head through her window into the waiting room.

MARY:

Hello again, Mr. Barish. Good, you've

got your stuff.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

Joel walks with his bags behind Mary.

MARY:

(not looking back)

How are you today?

(at lab)

Here we are.

INT. LABORATORY - DAY

Joel enters. Mierzwiak stands there with Stan in his lab

coat.

MIERZWIAK:

Ah, Mr. Barish. This is Stan. He'll be

in charge of your procedure tonight.

Stan nods professionally.

STAN:

Mr. Barish.

JOEL:

How exactly is this going to work

tonight?

As Mierzwiak talks, the room colors start to fade,

Mierzwiak's tone of voice is also affected; it becomes dry

and monotonous.

MIERZWIAK:

We'll start with your most recent

memories and go backwards -- There is an

emotional core to each of our memories --

As we eradicate this core, it starts its

degradation process -- By the time you

wake up in the morning, all memories

we've targeted will have withered and

disappeared. Like a dream upon waking.

JOEL:

Is there any sort of risk of brain

damage?

MIERZWIAK:

Well, technically, the procedure itself

is brain damage, but on a par with a

night of heavy drinking. Nothing you'll

miss.

Joel looks quizzically at the eroding environment. Suddenly

he gets it.

JOEL:

It's happening now! I'm already in my

brain.

Mierzwiak looks at the fading room.

MIERZWIAK:

Yes, I suppose you are.

(back in his faded memory

persona)

So, let's get started -- If we want the

procedure underway tonight, we have some

work to do.

Joel is sitting in a chair. Electrodes connect him to some

electronic machinery monitored by Stan. Mierzwiak watches

from the corner.

STAN:

We use the articles you brought to create

a map of Clementine in your brain.

Tonight while you sleep we'll be able to

trace the map and erase.

JOEL:

But you're tracing and erasing now. It's

already started. I'm home in my bed.

Stan pulls a snow globe from one of Joel's bags, shows it to

Joel. The equipment registers Joel's reaction.

STAN:

Very good.

Stan pulls out a potato dressed as a Vegas showgirl. Joel

studies it. The machines register his response.

MIERZWIAK:

We'll dispose of these mementos when

we're done here. That way you won't be

confused later by their unexplainable

presence in your home.

Stan pulls out a coffee mug with a photo of Clementine

printed on it. Joel looks at the cup. The machines record

his reaction.

STAN:

Good. We're getting healthy read-outs.

The room, Stan, and Mierzwiak are now vague and wispy.

STAN'S VOICE

Patrick, do me a favor --

Joel is watching Stan. Stan is not speaking, yet his voice

continues.

STAN'S VOICE (CONT'D)

-- and check the voltage levels, I'm not

wiping as clean as I would like here.

Joel looks up. Stan's voice seems to be coming from above.

INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Joel lies on his back in fresh pajamas. His eyes are closed

and electrodes connect his head to several machines. The

machines are operated by Stan, now in grubby street clothes

and in need of a shave, and by Patrick, dressed similarly.

The monitor on one of the machines traces a myriad of light

blips running like streams through an image of Joel's brain.

Stan presses buttons and operates a joystick, aiming for the

lines. Patrick (who we saw earlier with Clementine at the

bookstore) studies a meter on one of the machines.

PATRICK:

The voltage looks fine.

STAN:

Then check the connections.

Patrick fiddles with some jacks.

PATRICK:

Does that help?

STAN:

Yeah, that looks better. Thanks.

INT. LAB ROOM - DAY

The memory is becoming vague, characters' affects flat. Stan

pulls out a pile of loose-leaf pages. Mierzwiak smiles.

MIERZWIAK:

Ah, your journal. This will be

invaluable.

STAN:

(reading)

December 15th, 2004. I met someone

tonight. Oh, Christ: I don't know what

to do. Her name is Clementine and she's

amazing. So alive and spontaneous and

passionate and sensitive. Things with

Naomi and I have been stagnant for so

long.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes