This was a movie that many of the major Hollywood studios were hesitant about. After all, it deals with a young couple, who after a quarrel let a high-tech company remove all memories of their former partner. Not something you expect kids to rush to the cinemas to see.

But fortunately the film's director, Michel Gondry, firmly believed in his idea. He wanted Nicholas Cage in the lead role, but since the actor was busy elsewhere, Jim Carrey was chosen instead. And that turned out to be a stroke of luck. Carrey delivered one of his best performances in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Something that no doubt contributed to the success at the box office.

So, in the end Michel Gondry was rewarded for his stubbornness. And, as one of the film's writers, he won an Academy Award (for Best Original Screenplay) as well.