Kate Winslet is one of the actresses who received her breakthrough with the highly successful James Cameron film Titanic where she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. The actress had already proved her mettle as an actress with films like Heavenly Creatures and Sense and Sensibility.
While most of her films up to that point were set in a certain period, 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was set in contemporary times and her performance was beloved by fans and critics. However, she won the Oscar for The Reader where she played a woman revealed to be a Nazi guard. Fans believed she should have won for the former instead of her controversial role in the latter.
Fans Believe Kate Winslet Should Have Won Her First Oscar For Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Kate Winslet has mostly played characters in period settings since the beginning of her career. Films such as Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Quills, and Iris are some examples of that. The actress seemed to be typecast in such type of roles and thus 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind came as a breath of fresh air.
Winslet performance and chemistry with Jim Carrey was praised by critics and audiences, with the Titanic star receiving an Oscar nomination. However, she would win the coveted award four years later for the 2008 film The Reader. The film chronicles a romantic relationship that develops between a 15-year-old boy and an older woman played by Winslet.
As stated, the plot is problematic and certainly one that many people would be uncomfortable watching. As one fan r/movies wrote on Reddit “I hate that she won for The Reader, a film I found to be horrible and even gross”. He further criticized the disturbing s*x scenes between the two and the underwhelming characterization of Winslet’s character, concluding that she didn’t deserve the Oscar for that film.
Compared to the concerned and depressed character she played in The Reader, Winslet’s performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was more lively and intriguing. The Revolutionary Road star held her own opposite Carrey and masterfully portrayed the complexities of her character while also showcasing her vulnerabilities. It was also an against-type performance for Winslet at the time and thus, she should won for that film.
Kate Winslet Would Love To Play Her Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Character Again
Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey starred in Michael Gondry’s sci-fi romantic drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film chronicles an individual who undergoes a memory-erasing procedure and the journey of revisiting past memories leads him to change his perception of the relationship that ended.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Winslet revealed that she would love to play her character from the film Clementine again as it was very fun to play that role. She would love to know what happened to her character after the film’s ending and what her life is like at 42 years old. Plus, the crazy clothes and hair color she did for the film was exciting and the Titanic star would love to do that all over again. Winslet said,
Actually, she’s one I’d love to play again because it was just so much fun. And the possibilities for the hair colors were just endless. Wouldn’t you like to see Clementine as a 42-year-old woman? I’d love to know what happened to her.
I love the idea that she just let herself get really fat and just totally let go of her hang-ups about her body and just indulged in everything that made her feel happy. And more hair colors and more crazy clothes! I just think that could’ve been fun.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was adored by fans and critics when it was released in 2004 and was a box office hit, grossing $73 million against a $20 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It is considered one of the best films of the 2000s and fans continue to celebrate the film’s artistry to this day. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is streaming on Apple TV+.
Fans can watch The Reader on Prime Video.
