Arts Explorer #5: Watch an "Art Film" & Chat About it

Art word of the week: pattern

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     Pattern surrounds us in all areas of life. Namely, children use pattern in their artwork, however pattern is also seen within other dimensions such as math, reading, writing etc. For this reason I am applying this term to the film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. Pattern "suggests flow, rhythm, motion or movement and suggests regularity and repetition" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 142). Within the film it is clear to see pattern plays a large role in the organization and direction the story was preceding in. The pattern of revealing memories within the contexts of the procedure gave a sequenced view of Joel (Jim Carry) and Clementine's (Kate Winslet) relationship. With this being said, the following is my discussion with 2 classmate about the film:

Candice: Hey Guys, what did you think about the movie Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind?

Pavneet: I thought the movie itself was quite interesting but it was one of those movies in which you really had to pay attention as the past and present were intertwined.

Vanessa: I agree, at moments I was a little confused between the memories and thoughts of the past and present.  It wasn’t until about the point of where Joel’s (Jim Carrey) memory was being erased until I fully caught up.

Candice: Yea definitely, although a little confusing I thought it was pretty interesting how the memories were intertwined. I also liked how the memories painted an intangible picture of their relationship. It was something I’ve never seen before.

Vanessa: Yes usually in movies we always see a relationship from beginning to end in a concrete way, but in this film it was interesting to see how the relationship formed in a more abstract way.

Pavneet:  Agreed. It was kind of like a puzzle and all the memories were pieces. Definitely an interesting concept! I think another interesting part was when Patrick (Elijah Wood) tried to move in on Clementine (Kate Winslet). The fact that she wasn’t as comfortable and responsive to him was very interesting and made me think.

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Vanessa: Yea, and even when he said the exact same things as Joel (Jim Carrey) she wasn’t as responsive.  I guess that was a clue to show the viewers that their relationship was deeper.

Candice: Yup, I thought that was pretty interesting too! I also thought it was crazy how Mary (Kirsten Dunst) and Dr. Howard (Tom Wilkinson) had a relationship prior. I actually never saw that coming and I feel like it gave the movie an interesting twist.

Pavneet: Yea, it put a fascinating twist on the movie for sure. What did you guys think about Joel’s (Jim Carrey) memory of his childhood? To be honest I found that memory kind of odd.

Vanessa: The memory itself was weird and a little out of place but I understand that he was trying to “hide” his memory with Clementine (Kate Winslet) within a deeper, less accessible memory.

Candice: I found it interesting how Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) tried to hide their own memories with each other within Joel’s (Jim Carrey) less accessible memories. I also found it cool that whenever the procedure was erasing a part of the memory the objects around them would start disappearing.

Pavneet: That was a cool part and it was interesting to see how they were trying to trick the system. At the end of the movie when Clementine’s (Kate Winselt) tape was played I was a little worried. What did you guys think about that part?

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Vanessa: I was a little worried too. I think Joel’s (Jim Carrey) reaction was normal though. If I was in that position I would have felt as though someone was playing a trick on me too. It was interesting to hear his tape about her at the end too though. I feel like it really ended the movie off on a good note. They both seemed to be open and willing to be in each other’s lives knowing everything they heard.

Candice: I feel the same way; they are going to relive their relationship again from the beginning. Was this kind of movie one that you guys would watch on your own?

Pavneet: Definitely not.  I have heard interesting things about the movie, but it wouldn’t have been on my “must watch” list. It seems a little too out of the box for me.

Vanessa: I agree, not my kind of movie but it was definitely something different.  

Candice: Yea I’ve heard a lot of good things about the film and watching it was refreshing but I’m not sure I’d see it again. It was interesting though, and presented a cool concept.

Pavneet: Yup for sure!

Vanessa: Definitely! 
     In terms of the field of Early Childhood Education, children should be given the opportunity to not be bound by any limits or forces. Within the movie are strange concepts, however they all come together uniquely to form an interesting end result. Thus, children should be given ample opportunity to engage in their environments as creatively as they see fit, using their imagination and unique personalities. In doing so, educators can provide opportunities to act out weird and spontaneous stories, or draw unique things!

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Schirrmacher, R. , & Englebright Fox, J. . (2009). Art & creative development for young children. Belmont, California : Delmar Cengage Learning.