Making matters worse, he broke up with his girlfriend and he is forced to move in with his trailer park mom (Kim Basinger) and her not-much-older-than-Jimmy live-in boyfriend, Greg (Michael Shannon). He dolefully walks away, hopeless that he is going to be stuck in a go nowhere factory job. He practices in front of the club's men's room mirror, throws up then heads on stage where he freezes with insecurity. We first meet Jimmy as he prepares to take part in a rap battle at the local club, The Shelter. But Rabbit comes to realize that destiny is really his to control in director Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile." His poet's soul lives under the yoke of a trailer trash upbringing, no money and a case of stage fright that keeps him from performing at the local rap club. Rabbit, lives within the 8 Mile Road loop of Detroit that separates the suburban middle class neighborhoods from the inner city.
(Marshall "Eminem" Mathers III), AKA hip-hop aspiring B. The soundtrack, featuring several new Eminem cuts, was amazingly easy to take for someone who normally detests rap. Hanson has achieved fine results with a largely inexperienced cast, while also bringing the weedy parking lot flavor of Detroit's 8 Mile Rd. Basinger gets to slum and is effective as a needy, almost washed up beauty, but Murphy shows no new stripes and Manning is underutilized. Evan Jones plays like a teen version of John C. Phifer gives a charismatic performance as the immensely likeable Future while Miller and Wilson have great repartee as unlikely brothers. Rather than show great range in his first outing, he gives an effective slow burn. On the flip side, the final scene is staged like a boxing match, the new love interest is defined by a few conversations and an illicit quickie and Jimmy's defense of a Black gay man smacks of image rebuilding.Įminem proves capable of carrying the lead, at least when the material is tailored to fit. The dimwitted Cheddar Bob, who seems destined to cause a great tragedy, instead becomes an unlikely muse for Jimmy's rap. We first hear Eminem rap with a self-mocking reinterpretation of "Sweet Home Alabama." Social commentary is made via the character of DJ Iz, a budding activist. The screenplay is basic, but does offer a few nice touches. Of course, Jimmy overcomes all by taking his own path. Mom is encouraging when things are going well for her, abusive when they're not. New love interest Alex (Brittany Murphy, "Don't Say a Word") represents a way out while Janeanne is home. His friends Future, Sol (Omar Benson Miller, "Sorority Boys"), DJ Iz (De'Angelo Wilson, "The Antwone Fisher Story") and Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones) dream about their group Three One Third getting street cred while neighbor Wink (Eugene Byrd, "Lift") dangles promises of studio time and fame to Jimmy as a solo act. He tries to hold down a job in the face of junkbox transportation and an unfriendly supervisor. Jimmy's faced with multiple warring factors. Confidential) who's currently in an abusive relationship with Greg (Michael Shannon, "High Crimes") which threatens both her and Jimmy's much younger sister, Lily (Chloe Greenfield). With his tail between his legs, Jimmy returns home to his unemployed trailer park mom (Kim Basinger, "L.A.
Called to the stage by Future, Jimmy chokes against reigning rapper Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie). Jimmy's just broken up with Janeanne (Taryn Manning, "Crossroads") and is living out of a trash bag stashed behind a dumpster. We first find Jimmy backstage at hip hop club The Shelter, throwing up at the prospect of a 'battle,' where two rappers diss each other until one is approved by audience applause to move to the next round. "8 Mile" isn't a great film, but it is a custom vehicle for a kinder, gentler Eminem and his music.
Confidential"), a music superstar and a Rockyesque genre script (Scott Silver, "The Mod Squad") for a solid commercial outing. Producer Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind") combines his passion for hip hop with a prestige director (Curtis Hanson, "L.A.