8 Mile

8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film, directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer.

The film was a financial success, was well received critically, and won an Academy Award for the Best Original Song for Eminem's "Lose Yourself", becoming the first rap song in a movie to win an Academy Award.

Synopis and plot[]

In 1995, Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem) is a young and frustrated blue-collar factory worker. He has moved back north of 8 Mile to the rundown trailer home in Warren of his alcoholic mother, Stephanie (Kim Basinger), his sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield) and Stephanie's abusive live-in boyfriend Greg Buehl (Michael Shannon). Jimmy is focused on getting his rap career started, but he seems stalled; he tries to compete in a rap battle, but chokes with stage fright and is booed off the stage. Just prior to the events of the film, he ends a relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Janeane (Taryn Manning) and during the film, begins a new relationship with Alex (Brittany Murphy), whom he meets at the factory that he works at when she arrives looking for her brother who also works there.

Jimmy comes to realize that his life has remained largely the same since he graduated from high school. At first, he considers himself a victim of his circumstances and blames others for his problems. Over time, though, Jimmy begins to take responsibility for the direction of his life and realizes that he has a large degree of control over how it will go. He begins to question whether his group of friends, including "Future" (Mekhi Phifer), are holding themselves back from moving on to bigger things. He appears to decide that he will postpone his dream of a music career in favor of devoting more time to his day job and providing for his mother and sister.

File:Brabbitvslotto.png

B-Rabbit in the second rap battle at the Shleter in which he faces Lotto.

The battle acts as kind of a "final conflict" with a rap group called "The Leaders of the Free World", who have harassed Jimmy throughout the film. This begins with the deterioration of Jimmy's friendship with "Wink" (Eugene Byrd). The latter continually pesters Jimmy everyday with promises that he can help him "get big", that he knows people with influence and that "Wink" can hook Jimmy up with the support he needs. When Jimmy shows up at the studio, however, he finds "Wink" having sex with Alex. Jimmy beats up "Wink" as Alex tries to break it up. Enraged, "Wink" shows up with members of "Free World" to beat Jimmy up outside his home in the trailer park in front of Lily, with the mob badly beating him and leaving him with a black eye that's present at the final battle.

Impressed with Jimmy's new-found responsibility, his factory supervisor gives him the extra shifts he had originally asked for. However, a late night shift conflicts with the next battle tournament. Jimmy initially doesn't want to go, but a visit from Alex changes his mind. Paul, a gay co-worker whom Jimmy stood up for earlier in the film, agrees to cover for him.

Jimmy's friends hail him throughout the film as an incredible rapper, but until this point the film only shows snippets of his skills. The tournament has three rounds and in each of them Jimmy faces a member of the "Free World". Jimmy wins both of the first two rounds with progressively more impressive freestyle raps. In each one, including the last he goes over the 45 (90 seconds in the final battle) second limit and the beat gets cut but he is still rapping which further showcases his abilities. In the last round, he is paired against "Papa Doc" (Anthony Mackie), the tournament's most feared battler. Jimmy is aware that "Papa Doc" knows all his weak points, so he decides to address them pre-emptively with his freestyle. Jimmy acknowledges without shame his white trash roots and the various humiliations the "Free World" clique have inflicted on him, then he uses the difficult life he's had as a springboard to reveal the truth about "Papa Doc": despite passing himself off as a thug, he has a privileged background.

Jimmy makes a reference to "Shook Ones (Part II)" by Mobb Deep, the beat that the DJ is spinning, by calling "Papa Doc" a "halfway crook", which sends the crowd into a frenzy. "Papa Doc" is left speechless in rebuttal, drops the mic and backs down. As Jimmy leaves the venue, "Future" suggests that he stay and celebrate his victory while also offering a position that would allow him to host battles at The Shelter. Jimmy refuses, claiming he has to get back to work and do everything his own way, to which "Future" agrees and respects. The final shot displays Jimmy walking away from the shelter, more confident of the future ahead of him. Perhaps in the future, "B-Rabbit" continues to pursue his rap career.

Cast[]

File:Loseyourselfeminem.png

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

Eminem as James (Jimmy) "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr.
Kim Basinger as Stephanie Smith
Mekhi Phifer as David "Future" Porter
Brittany Murphy as Alex Latorno
Chloe Greenfield as Lily Smith
Michael Shannon as Greg Buehl
De'Angelo Wilson as DJ IZ
Evan Jones as "Cheddar Bob"
Omar Benson Miller as "Sol George"
Eugene Byrd as "Wink"
Anthony Mackie as "Papa Doc"
Xzibit as Mike (male lunch truck rapper)
Proof as "Lil Tic"
Obie Trice as male parking lot rapper
Taryn Manning as Janeane
Brandon T. Jackson as a Chin Tiki club-goer
King Gordy as "Big O"
John Singleton as bouncer
Strike as Lyckety-Splyt
NaShawn "Ox" Breedlove as Lotto
DJ Head as a battle disc jockey

8 Mile: The Soundtrack[]

Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture 8 Mile is the official music soundtrack to the 2002 movie 8 Mile, starring Eminem, who features on five of the tracks on this soundtrack. It was released under the Shady/Interscope label and spawned the massive hit single Lose Yourself. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums Chart that year with over 702,000 copies sold and 507,000 sold in the second week also finishing the year as the fifth best-selling album of 2002 with US sales of 3.2 million, despite only two months of release. It also reached #1 on the UK Compilations Charhe Australian ARIAnet Albums Chart. It featured Eminem's worldwide chart-topping single, "Lose Yourself". It also spawned a follow up soundtrack, More Music from 8 Mile, consisting of songs that appear in 8 Mile that were current singles during the film's time setting of 1995. The album was also made in a clean edition removing most of the strong profanity and violent content. The 8 Mile soundtrack has several new songs by Eminem featuring other artists at times such as "8 Mile", "Rap Game", "Lose Yourself", and the freestyle "Run Rabbit Run".

Track listing[]

1. "Lose Yourself" (Performed by Eminem) 5:31
2. "Love Me" (Performed by Eminem, Obie Trice & 50 Cent) 4:30
3. "8 Mile" (Performed by Eminem) 6:00
4. "Adrenaline Rush" (Performed by Obie Trice) 3:48
5. "Places To Go" (Performed by 50 Cent) 4:15
6. "Rap Game" (Performed by Eminem, 50 Cent and D12) 5:53
7. "8 Miles and Runnin'" (Performed by Jay-Z & Freeway) 4:08
8. "Spit Shine" (Performed by Xzibit) 3:39
9. "Time of My Life" (Performed by Macy Gray) 4:21
10. "U Wanna Be Me" (Performed by Nas) 3:50
11. "Wanksta" (Performed by 50 Cent) 3:38
12. "Wastin' My Time" (Performed by Boomkat) 3:37
13. "R.A.K.I.M." (Performed by Rakim) 4:23
14. "That's My Nigga Fo' Real" (Performed by Young Zee) 4:45
15. "Battle" (Performed by Gang Starr) 2:56
16. "Rabbit Run" (Performed by Eminem) 3:10

External links[]

[1] Official 8 Mile website