As part of her day of hookey, Gwen and I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Charlie Kaufman has really outdone himself, managing to combine PKD-style mindfucks with a really poignant story.
One exchange was especially memorable, and relevant beyond the scope of the movie
Clementine: This is it, Joel. It’s going to be gone soon.
Joel: I know.
Clementine: What do we do?
Joel: Enjoy it.
The whole movie is wonderful.
Yeah, I just heard about that movie and want to check it out. Glad to hear you liked it.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this movie, while trying not to overhype it. I hated, hated, hated Being John Malkovich (Blech, ick, ptooey!). On the other hand, I loved, loved, loved Adaptation. So I didn’t know what to expect, and I’m sure that was part of the pleasure of the film. How many filmmakers can you say that of these days? Usually, you know exactly what to expect and are often disappointed when you get it.
And considering your musings on marriage (hearty congrats, by the way), I’m sure it was particularly resonant for you. In the end, it was sort of a sci-fi Annie Hall redux (You know… we need the eggs).
I mean, isn’t that the ultimate conclusion to come to about long term relationships? Not only do they force all kinds of uncomfortable compromises, but I think that on some level, the most successful ones are doomed to be a little bit boring. I think you’re ready to get married when you look at all of that and, like Joel in the movie, can still say, “Okay!”