Summary
Joel and Clementine are at the pained end of their relationship. After a fight, Joel finds out that Clementine has had all of her memories of their relationship erased. He reacts by pursuing the same operation. As his memory of their relationship is wiped clean from the present moment backwards, he reaches scenes of happiness he would rather hold onto. Joel tries to stop the procedure. Together, he and Clementine hide among Joel's early childhood memories. As they avoid detection together, Joel rediscovers the joy of Clementine’s companionship and the root of their love. Their evasion fails and the operation is completed successfully. Joel wakes up with an unknown urge to go to where he had first met Clementine. There, he runs into a similarly searching Clementine and they unknowingly fall in love a second time. Upon returning home they discover audiotapes from their operations, revealing their bitter feelings about each other at the end of their relationship. Together they choose to try again knowing full well the pain and compromise that will come with their love.
Love
Will Joel and Clementine find love together?
Escape
Will Joel be able escape the procedure in order to save his memories of Clementine?
Patrick
Will Patrick be able to win Clementine's love using Joel's memories?
Stan
Will Stan win Mary's love?
Mary
Will Mary find love with Howard?
We meet again
Joel skips work and goes to the beach where he meets Clementine. Clementine introduces herself and declares they will get married together.
Lacuna
Joel finds out Clementine has had memories of him erased. He signs up for the same procedure to erase memories of her.
Surgery
Stan and Patrick come to Joel's apartment to perform the memory-erasing operation.
Last supper
Joel and Clementine fight. Mary arrives at the apartment, Patrick leaves to meet Clementine.
Change of mind
Joel encounters sweet memories of Clementine he would rather keep. They run away to hide in his childhood memories. Stan and Mary party in the apartment.
Cleaning up
Stan and Mary sober up and call Howard to help find Joel. Clementine is upset by Patrick trying to woo her with Joel's mementos.
Zap
Joel and Clementine evade Howard together, but are ultimately found. Mary rejects Stan for Howard. Clementine rejects Patrick.
Goodbye
Clementine encourages Joel to come find her again when he wakes up as the operation completes. Mary discovers she had been in love with Howard before and had her memories erased. She rejects Howard and sends all the patient files back to them to alert them to the procedure.
A new beginning
Joel and Clementine meet and fall in love again, but they discover they had been in a failed relationship with each other before.
Okay
Joel and Clementine choose to be together again.