Anson had no idea that, during their brief meeting, countless thoughts had crossed Kate's mind. However, he could sense her sincerity and focus.
After a small joke, Anson didn't continue beating around the bush. "This is our third meeting."
Technically, it was the third meeting between Joel and Clementine.
Not the first, nor the second, but the third.
Kate didn't hide her surprise. "What?"
After a pause, she repeated, "What?"
"Wait, in the whole movie, didn't they just reunite once?"
Anson shook his head. "Remember the beach house?"
Kate was stunned.
When Memento came out, one of the reasons Charlie Kaufman considered leaving the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind project was because both films centered on memory. Another reason was that both films used nonlinear storytelling, rearranging the sequence of events through film techniques.
In fact, Charlie Kaufman and Christopher Nolan didn't know each other, nor had they heard of each other's script ideas, but Charlie was still concerned about overlapping themes.
Of course, they didn't. Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are entirely different films.
In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman completely scrambled the timeline and maintained this throughout, representing the chaotic nature of memory and how memories resurface in the brain during the process of forgetting.
To be precise, Joel and Clementine meet three times, and each time, they fall in love.
The first time they meet is during a beach vacation.
They happen upon each other on the beach, start talking, and embark on an adventure together to an abandoned beach house. But Joel hesitates.
He doesn't dare leave his comfort zone and retreats, stopping in the face of Clementine's impulsive adventure and fleeing in embarrassment.
That was just a brief afternoon.
The second time they meet, neither remembers their previous encounter, but they are still drawn to each other and fall in love again, this time establishing a real relationship.
As the initial passion fades, they start arguing and drifting apart, until Clementine decides to visit a clinic to erase her memories of Joel.
After learning the truth, Joel, in anger, also opts to have his memories of Clementine erased.
The third meeting happens after both have erased their memories, when they coincidentally run into each other again on a train between Long Island and New York, and once again, fall in love.
This is somewhat similar to 50 First Dates, a film Anson turned down. Both films deal with the theme of memory failing or being erased, but despite that, two people who are deeply in love meet and fall for each other again. At the core, both films are about a belief in fated love.
Twenty years later, such romantic films are almost extinct, as love is no longer seen as a belief. The evolution of society has drastically changed people's perceptions and attitudes toward love. Yet, even now, these hopelessly romantic films remain a beautiful sight on the big screen.
Returning to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
In the film, the narrative timeline is completely scrambled, constantly jumping between time and space. It bounces back and forth, with the third meeting and the current timeline as a reference, interspersed with flashbacks to the second meeting, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that dazzles the viewer.
When the movie was released, many audience members exclaimed that it was a "mind-bender." If you didn't stay focused throughout, you could easily get lost.
Even viewers who watched the full movie felt that way, so it's no wonder Kate, who hadn't read the complete script, was confused.
Kate looked at Anson with suspicion.
"So you're saying they met once, but because Joel backed out, nothing happened. Then when they met again, Clementine still fell in love with him? And then, on top of that, they fall in love again the third time they meet?"
"Damn."
"What kind of charm does Joel have that makes Clementine fall for him over and over again?"
"I can understand Joel falling for Clementine repeatedly—her free spirit, her wildness, her romanticism. It's hard not to be drawn to that. But what about Joel?"
"It doesn't make sense."
Just like that, Kate got to the heart of the matter—
Which is also what Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind tries to explore: a fated love.
Strictly speaking, it is logical. Countless love stories are built on the push and pull of destiny. Those separations and heartaches eventually guide the two people back together, which undoubtedly carries immense power.
But a truly great love story doesn't just rely on "fate" to bind two characters together. It conveys a deeper resonance and connection at the soul level. Films like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Notebook all do this.
They are destined to fall in love, but not merely because of fate. It's about the resonance of their souls.
This is precisely the part missing from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. After the shock and emotional impact, there's a lack of lingering resonance.
Never underestimate that lingering feeling. It's often the reason why audiences come back to savor a movie, chew over it, or return to the cinema for another watch. It's also what turns a film into a classic after years of refinement.
Anson thought that it would be hard to fix this with the script alone. Charlie's screenplay was already packed with so much. Adding anything else would just make it too bloated. But the actors could make up for this through their performances.
And it seemed Anson and Kate shared the same thought.
Anson didn't hesitate and said, "That's the actor's job—to discover the charm of the characters and create that spark between them."
Kate gave him a slightly hesitant look, sizing him up. "You're not just making this up, are you?"
Anson didn't rush to deny it. He spread his hands and said, "It's a possibility."
So straightforward, so sincere. Kate hesitated for a moment longer. "So, what's your take on it?"
Indeed, in the story of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it wasn't easy.
Charlie Kaufman's original intention was to create two characters who were polar opposites, yet kept falling in love with each other due to fate. Joel and Clementine's personalities were entirely different, even opposites.
The brilliance of the script lies in how it avoids one key moment—how does love actually happen during the first meeting?
Love at first sight?
The film leaves it ambiguous.
In their second meeting, the script doesn't show how they fell in love. In their third meeting, the film uses the idea of "déjà vu" to explain their attraction. As the story progresses, this idea of fate makes sense.
But the foundation of fate—the first time they fall in love—is never clearly shown in the movie.
That's why Anson felt the actors should fill in this gap.
Coincidentally, this is something Anson needed his scene partner to help with. Or, looking at it from another angle, the process of Anson and Kate discussing and debating this is exactly how Joel and Clementine generate their chemistry.