 Despite the fact that Charlie Kaufman (qv)s script and  Michel Gondry (qv)s visual concepts were closely followed, the  actors were allowed many chances to improvise. Elijah Wood (qv)  and Mark Ruffalo (qv) improvised extensively, and much of the  dialog between Jim Carrey (qv) and Kate Winslet (qv) resulted  from videotaped rehearsal sessions during which the two actors  became close by sharing tales of their real life relationships and  heartbreaks.