INT. TILED HALLWAY - DAY
The old woman carries her manuscript haltingly down a subway hall.
She stops to catch her breath, then continues and passes several
archways with letters printed above them. When she arrives at one
topped by an LL, she slips a card in a slot. A plastic molded chair
drops into the archway. She sits in the chair; it rises.
INT. TUBE - DAY
The woman is still in the chair as it slips gracefully into a line of
chairs shooting through a glass tube. The other chairs are peopled
with commuters. We stay with the woman as she and the other commuters
travel over Hew York City in the tube. There are hundreds of these
commuter tubes crisscrossing the skyline. The woman glances at the
manuscript in her lap. It's called:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
This serves as the movie's opening title. The other credits follow,
as the old woman studies commuters in passing tubes. Their faces are
variously harsh and sad and lonely and blank.
CLEMENTINE
Okay, I guess.
MARY
(at Mierzwiak's office)
Here we are.
Mierzwiak steps out from behind his desk.
MIERZWIAK
Ms. Kruczynski, please come in.
Clementine enters the office. Mary smiles at Mierzwiak and closes the
door, leaving them alone.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Maybe gay isn't the right word. But, anyway, it's been rough
with him... whatever the fuck he is. Heheh. My significant
other... heh heh. And I guess on a certain level, I want to
break it off, but I feel... y'know... it's like this constant
questioning and re-questioning. Do I end it? Should I give it
more time? I'm not happy, but what do I expect? Relationships
require work. You know the drill. The thing that I keep
coming back to is, I'm not getting any younger, I want to
have a baby... at some point... maybe... right? So then I
think I should settle — which is not necessarily the best
word -- I mean, he's a good guy. It's not really settling.
Then I think maybe I'm just a victim of movies, y'know? That
I have some completely unrealistic notion of what a
relationship can be. But then I think, no. this is what I
really want, so I should allow myself the freedom to go out
and fucking find it. You know? Agreed? But then I think he is
a good guy and... It's complicated. Y'know?
MIERZWIAK
I think I know. I think we can help. Why don't you start by
telling me about your relationship. Everything you can think
of. Everything about him. Everything about you. And we'll
take it from there.
She nods, thinks.
CLEMENTINE
Um, well, he's a fucking tidy one --
JOEL
That's okay.
CLEMENTINE
(stares out window)
My embarrassing admission is I really like that you're nice.
Right now, anyway. I can't tell from one moment to the next
what I'm going to like. But right now I'm glad you said,
"that's okay' to me. That was nice of you.
JOEL
It's no problem. Anyway, I have some stuff I need to —
CLEMENTINE
Oh, okay. Well, sure, I'll just...
(stands, throws bag over shoulder)
Take care, then.
JOEL
(pulling journal from briefcase)
Probably see you at the book store.
CLEMENTINE
(heading toward other end of car)
Unless I get that hair-color-naming job.
Clementine sits and stares out the window.
INT. TRAIN - LATER
There are a few more people in the car now. Clementine has inched a
few seats closer to Joel. She watches him. His head is immersed in
his journal.
INT. TRAIN - LATER
It's dark out. The train is pretty crowded. Joel stares out the
window. Clementine sits closer still to Joel eyes him.
Joel pulls over.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Thanks very much. That was very nice of you.
JOEL
Well, I wouldn't want to be —
CLEMENTINE
Oh, geez. I'm full of shit. I already told you that.
(pause)
Anyway. See ya.
Clementine opens the car door.
JOEL
Take care.
CLEMENTINE
(turning back)
Hey, do you want to have a drink? I have lots of drinks. And
I could --
JOEL
Um --
CLEMENTINE
Never mind. Sorry, that was stupid. I'm embarrassed. Good
night, Joel.
CLEMENTINE
You'll call me, right?
JOEL
Yeah.
CLEMENTINE
When?
JOEL
Tomorrow?
CLEMENTINE
Tonight. Just to test out the phone lines and all.
JOEL
Okay.
We stay with Clementine as she watches Joel tromping through the snow
and getting in his car.
He swallows it, peeks out the window again, takes off his clothes,
lips into a pair of pajamas fresh from the store packaging. He sits
on the edge of the bed, dials the phone.
JOEL (CONT'D) RECORDED VOICE
We're sorry, the number you We’re sorry, the number you
We're sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in
have dialed... service. If you think you
(beat) have reached this recording
Screw you, Clementine, for in error —
doing this ...
JOEL (CONT'D}
Bye.
Joel hangs up and lies on his back on the bed. By now the scene is
lifeless, almost a husk. He hears the apartment building door open.
He hears footsteps.
JOEL (CONT'D) VOICE-OVER
It's them. It's too late.
His eyelids are getting heavy. He closes his eyes.
BLACK.
He hears a key in his apartment door.
JOEL
Fuck.
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 VOICE-OVER
Gotta get home. How could Oh, God. I miss her. I
she do this to me? How can't believe she's with
could she not care about that guy now! I'm never
what we meant to each going to see her again. I
other. What a fuck! What a love her so much. What a
fucking monster she is! fucking 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.
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.
The scene is just a shell of itself as Stan rattles on.
STAN'S VOICE
I think we got this one. Let's push on.
Joel looks up at the ceiling.
INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - DAY
Joel, snapped into a new memory, cries as he fills two large plastic
garbage bags with mementos of his relationship with Clementine. There
are funny little gifts, wind-up toys, some potatoes dressed as women,
some clothing Clementine has left there, some CD's. He pulls a big
clump of pages out of his loose-leaf journal and dumps them in the
bag.
He gets some clean loose-leaf paper and writes:
December 15, 2004 Nothing much happened today, I stayed home. Naomi
worked on her dissertation.
The scene is fading as he continues to write.
STAN
(uninterested)
It's an apartment.
PATRICK
Not a dump, then, but kind of plain. Uninspired. And there's
a stale smell. Sort of stuffy. I don't know. Stuffy.
STAN
Patrick, let's just get through this. We have a long night
ahead of us.
PATRICK
Yeah.
Patrick returns to the bedside, focuses on the machines for a moment.
He glances at the unconscious Joel
PATRICK
So who do you think is better-looking, me or this guy?
Stan glances sideways at Patrick.
JOEL (CONT'D)
Any messages for me. Carmen. -
CARMEN VOICE-OVER
Nothing, Joel. It's bullshit. She's
punishing me for being
honest with her.
Joel is at his office desk on the phone.
PHONE MACHINE VOICE
You have no messages.
INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Joel enters, checks his phone machine: zero messages.
INT. JOEL'S OFFICE - DAY
Joel gets off the elevator, approaches Carmen, who is in conversation
with someone else.
JOEL
Sorry, Carmen. Any messages?
Carmen shakes her head "no", goes back to her conversation.
INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Joel checks his machine: zero messages.
VOICE-OVER
That's it. I'm just gonna—
Without a moment's hesitation, he dials the phone,
VOICE-OVER (CONT'D)
I'm gonna tell her I'm through playing games and —
RECORDED VOICE
The number you have dialed has been disconnected.
Joel's eye's bug.
STAN
(re: memory on monitor)
This one's history. Moving on...
PATRICK
The thing is ... my situation is a little weird. My
girlfriend situation.
STAN
Patrick, we need to focus.
Stan aims the joystick.
JOEL (CONT'D)
And what are you like? A wino?
CLEMENTINE
A wino? Jesus, Are you from the fifties? A wino!
(laughs)
Face it, Joel. You're freaked out because I was out late
without you, and in your little wormy brain, you're trying to
figure out, did she fuck someone tonight?
JOEL
No, see, Clem, I assume you fucked someone tonight. Isn't
that how you get people to like you?
This shuts Clementine up. She is stung and she starts gathering up
her belongings, which are strewn about the apartment. Joel is
immediately sorry he's said this. He follows her around.
JOEL (CONT'D)
I'm sorry. Okay. I didn't mean that. I just... I was just...
pissed, I guess.
Clementine is out the door. Joel follows.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Joel looks at his dented car, looks at Clementine clomping off in the
distance.
STAN'S VOICE
Look, just don't tell me this stuff. I don't want to
know this shit.
PATRICK'S VOICE
Yeah, okay.
STAN'S VOICE
We have work to do.
There's a click and Joel finds himself in —
JOEL
Clem, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have —
CLEMENTINE
(screaming now)
I'd make a fucking good mother! I love children! I'm creative
and smart and I'd make a fucking good mother!
The scene starts to fade. Clementine's rant continues but becomes
attenuated and vague.
JOEL CLEMENTINE
Oh, thank God. It's It's you! It's you who
going. can't commit to anything!
You have no idea how
lucky you are I'm
interested in you! I
don't even know why I am!
I should just end it
right here, Joel. Leave
you in the 200. Maybe you
could find a nice sloth
to hang out with!
She's crying now, but it's almost animatronic, no real emotion in it.
The scene is a husk.
JOEL
It's going, Clementine. All the crap and hurt and
disappointment. It's all being wiped away.
She looks up at him.
CLEMENTINE
I'm glad.
Their eyes lock. She is fading before his eyes.
JOEL
Me, too.
Joel sighs, stands, and heads to the crowded bar.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Thanky! Thanky!
Joel is at the bar, trying to get the bartender's attention.
Joel is paying the bartender. He turns with the drink to head back to
the table. He sees Clementine flirting with a man in Joel's seat.
Joel is at the table. Clementine looks up from her conversation.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Joel, this is Mark. He likes my boobs. He came over special
to tell me that. Isn't that nice. He doesn't think I'm fat.
The scene starts to fade. Mark rises.
MARK
I didn't know she was with someone, man.
CLEMENTINE
S'okay, Mark. Joel doesn't like my boobs.
(stage whisper)
I don't think he likes girls. The bar gets quiet and vague.
JOEL
You're drunk.
CLEMENTINE
You're a whiz kid. So perceptive, so —
Clementine keeps talking but there are no more intelligible words,
just a whisper — like a breeze.
A doorbell buzzes. Joel looks up.
STAN
Patrick, we're in the middle of —
PATRICK
She's right in the neighborhood. She's upset.
Mary is in the kitchen. She pokes her head out. She's got some pie
on. a plate.
MARY
Let him go, Stan. I can help.
STAN
(sighing, to Patrick)
Go.
PATRICK
(quietly)
Mary hates me.
(into phone)
I'll be right over, Tangerine.
Mary seems surprised, taken aback, caught. She is silent for a long
moment.
MARY
No.
(beat)
Besides, Howard's married, Stan. He's a very serious and
ethical man. I'm not going to tempt him to betray all he
believes in. Stan takes another drag on the joint, passes it
to Mary.
CLEMENTINE'S VOICE
... and we made love right on the ice. It was absolutely
freezing on my ass! It was wonderful.
Clementine enters, dressed for the cold. Patrick puts the notebook
away.
CLEMENTINE
I'm so excited. Yay!
PATRICK
I'm excited, too. Oh, and I wanted to give you this. It's a
little... thing.
Patrick pulls the bracelet from his pocket, hands it to her.
PATRICK (CONT'D)
I didn't have a chance to wrap it.
CLEMENTINE
It's gorgeous.
(slipping it on)
Just my taste. I've never gone out with a guy who bought me a
piece of jewelry I liked.
(kisses him)
Thanks. So let's get going. Long drive.
INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Stan and Mary have sex on the floor next to Joel's bed.
Stan turns and looks at her. He's stoned and trying to understand her
motivation.
STAN
No way. I can handle this,
MARY
This guy's only half cooked. There's no time to fuck around,
Stan.
Stan tries to think. He paces. Mary watches him. Finally:
STAN
(without making eye contact)
Okay.
He dials the phone, waits.
STAN (CONT'D)
Hello, Howard?
Mierzwiak writes it down on a bedside note pad. He hangs tip.
INT. JOEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Stan hangs up the phone, looks at Mary.
MARY
He's coming?
STAN
You better go.
MARY
Hell no.
She starts getting dressed.
MARY (CONT'D)
Shit, I'm so stoned. I don't want him to see me stoned. Stop
being stoned, Mary!
She hurries into the bathroom with her bag.
MARY (CONT'D) (O.C.) (CONT'D)
God, I look like shit! God!
Mary slams the bathroom door. Stan puts his head in his hands.
INT. CLEMENTINE'S CAR - NIGHT
It's a rust bucket. Clementine drives through the snow. She's crying
and holding Patrick's hand.
CLEMENTINE
What's wrong with me?
PATRICK
Nothing is wrong with you. You're the most wonderful person
I've ever met.
She glances gratefully over at him then starts to cry even harder.
MARY {CONT'D)
I think it's important for my job... to help comfort the
clientele. You know.
Mierzwiak looks from Mary to Stan, nods, and enters. Mary closes the
door. Mierzwiak crosses, to the equipment.
MIERZWIAK
Let's get to the bottom of this. Shall we?
He sits down in front of the computer and does some fiddling.
MIERZWIAK (CONT'D)
Odd.
He fiddles some more. Mary looks on, fascinated.
STAN
I tried that already.
MIERZWIAK
Did you try going in through C-Gate?
STAN
Yeah. Of course.
Mierzwiak ponders. He unzips his equipment bag, pulls out another
laptop computer and plugs it in to the system.
MIERZWIAK
I'm going to do a Spectrum search throughout his memory, see
if anything comes up.
Mierzwiak presses some more buttons. The program starts up. A much
more complex and detailed human brain appears on this screen. It
rotates. Eventually Mierzwiak sees a small distant light in the
brain. He zeroes in on it.
MIERZWIAK (CONT'D)
Okay, here it is. I don't know why it's off the map like
that, but —
JOEL
(to Clementine)
I love getting bathed in the sink. It's such a feeling of
security.
CLEMENTINE
(giggling)
I've never seen you happier.
The elements of the scene flash explosively away: Joel's mother, his
Huckleberry Hound doll, the details of the kitchen, Clementine. Joel
is thrown into:
INT. CAR - NIGHT
He sits with Clementine in the parked car, outside a drive-in movie
theater. The movie on the giant screen is partially obscured by a
fence. Joel and Clementine drink wine.
INT. JOEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Mierzwiak looks up from the computer screen.
KIERZWIAK
Okay, we're back in.
MARY
That was beautiful to watch, Howard. Like a surgeon or a
concert pianist.
MIERZWIAK
Well, thank you, Mary.
STAN
(sighing)
You get some sleep, Howard. I'll take it from here.
MIERZWIAK
Yeah, probably a good idea.
CLEMENTINE
Yes, but I can't love a man named Wally.
She starts to fade. The scene starts to fade. Joel remembers their
previous plan.
JOEL
They found us before. The plan didn't work. I don't know what
to do now.
CLEMENTINE
(mouthing to woman on screen)
Hide me somewhere deeper? Somewhere buried?
Joel grabs her. They run off just as the scene decays into a husk
behind them.
INT. JOEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Stan is back at the controls. Mierzwiak.'s at the door with Mary.
STAN
Howard, they've disappeared again.
MIERZWIAK
Oh dear.
MARY
I'm so sorry, Howard, you must be tired.
He nods, distractedly. She smiles to herself as he heads back to the
equipment.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Poor Joel.
They're at the bike rack and a bunch of kids, including giant, fat
Joe Early come around the corner.
JOE EARLY JOEL
Hi, Jill. He calls me Jill.
Everyone calls me Jill
after this.
The other kids laughs.
JOEL
Just shut up, Joe. I'm going home.
JOE EARLY
I don't think so. We're fighting.
JOEL
I don't want to fight you.
The kids start chanting, "fight, fight, fight..." Joe Early throws a
wild punch that hits Joel in the side. Joel falls and stays down,
covering himself.
JOE EARLY
C'mon, Jill. Get up, faggot. C'mon.
Joel doesn't say anything. He peeks humiliated at Clementine. She's
watching him. She's got a tear in her eye. She kneels down beside
him, puts her arm around him.
JOEL
I'm too scared to even throw a punch. When I tell people this
story I leave that part out.
The scene flashes violently to white and is gone.
INT JOEL'S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Mierzwiak is at the machines.
MIERZWIAK
We got him back. Stan, I think I'm just going to have to get
through this manually. We're running late.
CLEMENTINE
Our house! Our house!
She runs ahead, laughing. The scene is decaying. Joel chases after
her.
JOEL
Clem, c'mon, we've got to hide you. Remember?
He grabs her arm and yanks and they are in:
INT. BOY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
It's dark. Joel, junior high school size, is in bed masturbating.
Clementine is in there, too, in her winter coat, still laughing from
before. She realizes what's going on.
CLEMENTINE
(mock offended)
Joel!
JOEL
(continuing to masturbate)
I don't like it either, but I'm just trying to find horrible
secret place to --
Joel's mother pops her head in the door
MOTHER
Joel, I was just —
(sees what's going on)
Oh. Um... I'll ask you in the morning, honey. Have a good
night.
The mother backs out, closes the door. Joel cringes. Clementine
laughs, still in the mode of the memory she was swiped from. Flash!
It's all gone.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
This is a great birthday present. Getting to see you as a
boy.
She kisses him and they walk holding hands.
JOEL
(pointing)
That's where I live. Lived.
Joel looks down at her hand. It's fading. The bracelet is gone.
Clementine is gone. His childhood house is gone.
MARY
No, you're right. Once again. You're a decent man, Howard.
He smiles sadly at her. She smiles courageously at him.
MIERZWIAK-
I want you to know it's not because I'm not interested. If
that means anything.
They look at each other for a long while, then Howard goes back to
locating and eradicating blips of light.
EXT. JOEL'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
Stan sits in the van and smokes a cigarette. He has an unobstructed
view into Joel's bedroom window. He watches Mierzwiak and Mary.
They're talking as Howard works. It appears to be a very serious
discussion. A car pulls up outside. Stan turns to see. A middle-aged
woman gets out, checks the address on Joel's building, approaches the
only lit window, watches Kierzwiak and Mary inside. Mierzwiak's
resolve has apparently weakened and he and Mary kiss again. This time
it leads to groping, partial undressing, and falling onto the bed
alongside the unconscious Joel. The woman in the window is
transfixed. As Mierzwiak fumbles to unzip his pants, he catches sight
of the woman in the window. He practically shrieks and jumps up.
STAN
Let me take you home.
Mary shakes her head "no." She walks off, dazed.
EXT. CHARLES RIVER - NIGHT
Clementine and Patrick lie on the their backs on the frozen river and
look up at the night sky.
PATRICK
I could die right now. Clem. I'm just happy. I've never felt
that before. I'm just exactly where I want to be.
Clementine looks over at him. Their eyes meet. She sobs.
CLEMENTINE
I want to go home.
She hurries toward the shore, slips on the ice, gets up, and
continues, now running.
INT. COMMUTER TRAIN - NIGHT
Mary, in shock, sits in the empty fluorescent car. She tries to look
out the window but can only see her own reflection.
FATHER JOEL
Don't be like me, son. It was horrifying,
Don't waste your life. seeing my my father like
You’ll come to a point that. There was no hope
someday where it’ll be for me if his life was
too late. You’ll be sewn such a failure. And he
into your fate… saw failure in me, too,
written in my future.
Clementine watches the frightened, confused Joel,
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Joel, you're not sewn in. He's wrong.
FATHER
... and there'll be nowhere to go except where you're
headed, like a train on a track. Inevitable, unalterable.
The scene pops out of existence with a flash of light.
JOEL
God, I should know. Your hair was red. I remember it
matched the wallpaper.
CLEMENTINE
Egad, were you horrified?
JOEL
No! I think you were wearing that black dress, y'know,
with the buttons.
She is wearing the black dress.
CLEMENTINE
No, you were with me when I bought that. At that place on
East 6th. It was later.
INT. DRESS SHOP - DAY
The scene has already been erased. It's, just a decayed husk. A vague
Joel watches a vague Clementine model a black, dress.
JOEL (CONT'D)
I thought I was foolish. I thought I'd mistaken infatuation
for love. You said:
CLEMENTINE
So what. Infatuation is good, too.
JOEL
And I didn't have an argument.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
Joel and Clementine pull up to Clementine's house.
JOEL
I dropped you off after. You said —
CLEMENTINE
(Mae West)
Come up and see me... now.
JOEL
It's very late.
CLEMENTINE
Yes, exactly. Exactly my point.
INT. CLEMENTINE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Joel and Clementine are in the midst of awkward shy sex.
JOEL
This was our first time.
The scene starts to fade. Joel watches Clementine disappear.
MARY'S VOICE (CONT'D)
You didn't come on to me at all. I liked that. I was so
tongue-tied around you at first. I wanted you to think I was
smart. You were so nice. I loved the way you smelled. I
couldn't wait to come to work. I had these fantasies of us
being married and having kids and just...
(starts to cry)
... and so.. then... when... that one day, when I thought
you looked at me back... like... Oh, Howie, I can't do this?
How can I do this?
MIERZWIAK'S VOICE
It's what's best, Mary. You know that.
Mary slumps to the floor. We move into her eyes.
MARY'S VOICE
Yeah, I know. Oh, God. Okay, well, I was so excited...
A SERIES OF MURKY IMAGES. NO DETAIL.
A flirtatious look from Mierzwiak.
MARY'S VOICE
... Remember you bought me that little wind-up frog?
A vague shot of a wind-up toy frog.
MARY'S VOICE (CONT'D)
And you said...
A vague shot of Mierzwiak mouthing to Mary's voice
MARY'S VOICE (CONT'D)
"This is for your desk. Just a little token"
Back to Mary sitting on the floor, listening to the tape.
MARY'S VOICE (CONT'D)
I knew then... I knew something was going to happen...
something wonderful.
JOEL
You take it. I don't know.
She tosses it in a box.
JOEL (CONT'D)
Naomi, I really value our relationship. I hope it's possible
for us to stay in touch..
NAOMI
Don't do this to me now, Joel. Really.
INT. JOEL'S BEDROOM - DAY
Joel watches out the window as Naomi stuffs a final box in the trunk
of a car. There's another woman down there with her. They get into
the car and drive off.
NAOMI
Don't say 'we' when you mean you.
JOEL
I think maybe, we're both so used to operating at this level
that — How can one person be unhappy? If one person is
unhappy, both have to be... by definition.
NAOMI
Bullshit. Who is it? You met someone.
JOEL
NO. I just need some space, maybe.
NAOMI
The thing is, Joel, whatever it is you think you have with
this chick, once the thrill wears off, you're just going to
be Joel with the same fucking problems.
JOEL VOICE-OVER
It's not somebody else. I hate myself.
Naomi walks off. Joel watches her. The scene fades.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Too many guys think I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm
going to make them alive, but I'm just a fucked-up girl who
is looking for my own peace of mind. Don't assign me yours.
JOEL
I remember that speech really well.
CLEMENTINE
(smiling)
I had you pegged, didn't I?
JOEL
You had the whole human race pegged.
CLEMENTINE
Probably.
JOEL
I still thought you were going to save me. Even after that.
CLEMENTINE
I know.
JOEL
It would be different, if we could just give it another go
around.
CLEMENTINE
Remember me. Try your best. Maybe we can.
The scene is gone.
VOICE-OVER
(more and more emotionless)
I don't know what to do about this. I've been feeling so
alienated and numb lately. Forever. The thought of not
acknowledging my feelings again seems self-destructive.
How can I continue on this path toward a living death, a
life filled with obligation and guilt and responsibility
but joyless, hopeless? I need to speak with Clementine.
The scene has turned to a husk.
CARRIE
I’m sorry Naomi couldn't make it. You okay? You seem quiet.
JOEL VOICE-OVER VOICE-OVER
Just a little The trip to the party
overworked, maybe. where I met
Clementine. My first
memory of her is now my
last memory of her.
Joel looks out the window. Carrie turns around and says something to
Joel. She is backlit, her hair a halo of frizz.
JOEL
I remember you turned around. Your face was dark and your
hair was backlit — I could see a halo of frizz -- You asked
me if things were okay between Naomi and me.
CARRIE
I did. You said, things were fine.
JOEL
I remember.
CARRIE
This is the night you met Clementine, Joel. I remember
watching you walk down the beach with her and I thought. Oh
shit.
JOEL CARRIE
Yeah, you told me that I told you that later.
later.
Joel looks out he window. He sees the husk of a memory on a the
darkened roadside. It's Joel and Carrie in:
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Male or female?
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Female.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
At least I haven't been barking up the wrong tree.
She finds a window that's unlatched. She lifts it.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
Cool.
JOEL
What are you doing?
CLEMENTINE
It freezing out here.
She scrambles in the window. Joel looks around, panicked.
JOEL VOICE-OVER
(whisper) I couldn't believe you
Clementine did that. I was
paralyzed with fear.
The front door opens and Clementine stands there beckoning.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
C'mon, man. The water's fine. Nobody's coming here
tonight, believe me. This place is closed up.
Electricity's off.
JOEL CLEMENTINE
I hesitated for what I could see you wanted
seemed like forever. to come in, Joel.
He walks cautiously toward the door.
CLEMENTINE (CONT'D)
As soon as you-walked in. I knew I had you. You knew I
knew that, right?
Carrie continues to talk, but her voice goes under as Joel studies
the faded husks of memories, piled up like refuse outside the moving
car window. He sees dried-out version of previous interactions with
Clementine playing out in loops. He looks back and sees the memory of
his ride home from the beach with Rob and Carrie. It, too, is
decaying. Soon all has crumbled into dust. Everything goes black.
MIERZWIAK
I didn't make you. you thought it best.
(off her stare)
But, look, I take full responsibility.
She looks at him for a long while. Then, out of frustration, she
screams.
NAOMI
I'm glad you called.
INT. JOEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Joel and Naomi are in bed having sex. There are certain sexual
routines, habits, they have fallen back into almost immediately. She
sticks her tongue in his ear in a way that's trying to be sexual but
just feels embarrassing to him. They finish and lie there.
JOEL
So you think the dissertation will get published?
NAOMI
I don't know. I'm not sure there's a big public demand for
books on Calvinism and Misogyny.
INT. CLEMENTINE' S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Clementine lies in bed with Patrick.
EXT. COMMUTER TRAIN STATION - MORNING
The platform is crowded with business commuters. Joel is among them.
The platform across the tracks from them is empty. Suddenly, Joel
turns and makes his way through the crowd. He climbs the stairs,
crosses the overpass and makes his way to the empty platform. An
almost empty train pulls into that platform. Joel gets on the train
and watches the business commuters through the dirty window as his
train pulls out of the station.
She approaches him, kisses him, his arms wrap around her waist for
the first time.
INT LACUNA LTD. WAITING ROOM - MORNING
Stan enters the waiting room, now crowded with people holding their
files, a stunned-looking lot. There is a new woman in the reception
window. The file cases behind her are bare.
RECEPTIONIST
May I help you?
STAN
I work here. I used to work here. Stan. Please just tell
Howard I'm here to clean out my desk.
RECEPTIONIST
(into phone)
Mr. Mierzwiak, Stan is here to -- Yes sir.
(to Stan)
He says he needs to see you.
YOUNG WOMAN (CONT'D)
Now I know my entire history with him, but it's in the form
of a study. I'm losing my mind.
MIERZWIAK
This is why people must never be told. It's like waking a —
YOUNG WOMAN
I don't know what to do. Before I thought I was depressed for
no reason. Now it's like I've been assigned a reason.
PATRICK
This never should've happened, ma'am. We'll take care of it.
MIERZWIAK
I know you don't like me much, Stan, but please talk to Mary.
She of all people should know this is a dangerous thing she's
doing,
JOEL
Jesus.
CLEMENTINE
You're still excited my irreverence. You haven't yet started
to think of it as my gratuitous need to shock.
JOEL
I can't stop thinking about you.
CLEMENTINE
Yay. Meet me after work by the old mill.
JOEL
What old mill? Is that somewhere we --
CLEMENTINE
I just wanted to say that. Come by my house.
The woman sits. Mary presses an intercom button.
MARY (CONT'D)
Howard, your 10:30.
She switches the tape back on.
SAD WOMAN'S VOICE
He took me to his car and ...
Vague shot of the girl being raped.
OLD MAN (HOWARD)
Hello, Ms. Kruczynski. Nice to meet you. Please have a seat.
He indicates a sitting area. She sits. He joins her.
OLD MAN (HOWARD) (CONT'D)
Would you mind if I tape our discussion?
She shakes her head. He punches a couple of buttons on his computer
console. A tape recorder starts up and his computer screen lights up
so only he can see it. On it we see a whole file on Clementine
Kruczynski: a list of fifteen dates of previous erasures stretching
back fifty years, all of them involving Joel Barish.
OLD MAN (HOWARD) (CONT'D)
So, why don't you begin by telling me why you've come here.
SECOND OLD WOMAN (CLEMENTINE)
Well, I met this man, Joel, three years ago at a senior
dance... we'd both been alone for so long and...