8 Mile (2002)

A young rapper, struggling with every aspect of his life, wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writer:

Scott Silver

Stars:

Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eminem	...	Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith
Kim Basinger	...	Stephanie Smith
Mekhi Phifer	...	David 'Future' Porter
Brittany Murphy	...	Alex
Evan Jones	...	Cheddar Bob
Omar Benson Miller	...	Sol George
De'Angelo Wilson	...	DJ Iz
Eugene Byrd	...	Wink
Taryn Manning	...	Janeane
Larry Hudson	...	Bouncer
Proof	...	Lil' Tic
Mike Bell	...	Shorty Mike
DJ Head	...	Battle DJ
Michael Shannon	...	Greg Buehl
Chloe Greenfield	...	Lily Smith

Storyline

The setting is Detroit in 1995. The city is divided by 8 Mile, a road that splits the town in half along racial lines. A young white rapper, Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. summons strength within himself to cross over these arbitrary boundaries to fulfill his dream of success in hip hop. With his pal Future and the three one third in place, all he has to do is not choke.

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Plot Keywords:

hip hop | trailer home | self expression | competition | rap music | 

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Taglines:

Helt Eminemt [Denmark]

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, sexuality, some violence and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ali Miyzaan, an extra, was shot outside a Detroit theater on the film's opening night.

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Goofs

When Jimmy Smith Jr. is talking outside the factory, the crew (holding the boom mic) is reflected in the window behind him.

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Quotes

Jimmy Smith Jr: Fuck a beat, I'll go A Capella. Fuck a Papa Doc, fuck a clock, fuck a trailer, fuck everybody. Fuck y'all if you doubt me. I'm a piece of fuckin' white trash, I say it proudly. And fuck this battle, I don't want to win, I'm outtie. Here, tell these people something they don't know about me.

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Crazy Credits

The final credit reads, "Filmed on location in the 313"

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Alternate Versions

The film, played on Australian television on 7mate, a HD channel, was classified MA15+ and said it contained "Frequent very coarse language, A sex scene and adult themes" according to the 7mate network.

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Connections

Featured in Eminem: Lose Yourself (2002)

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Soundtracks

Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Written by RZA (as Robert Diggs Jr.) and Ol' Dirty Bastard (as Russell Jones)
Performed by Ol' Dirty Bastard
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment
By arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

8 Mile will have potent impact on America's youth.

It is rare that an established filmmaker and production company create something that young people are able to grasp the complete meaning of. Intellectual jargon or unnecessary vagueness of plot often take precedence over lucidity and appeal.

Eminem's "8 Mile" has managed to break this cycle, presenting in poignant audio/video style the nature of the life so many of our nation's youth live, and how despite it all there always remains the possibility to break through.

The film's meaning is largely overt, not subtle, and makes itself available to a much wider variety of viewers than most films with any sort of dramatic moral. Just look at the box office reports for "8 Mile"s opening weekend.

I won't attempt to speculate on the effect the film will have among our youth, but I personally believe it will be positive in nature. It will be impossible for this film to become as transient as an action blockbuster or as esoteric as a cult classic. It's depth and range of appeal are simply unparalleled in our time.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Universal Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fight Song

Filming Locations:

Chin Tiki Club - 2121 Cass Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$41,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,240,555, 10 November 2002

Gross USA:

$116,750,901

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$242,875,078

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Mikona Productions GmbH & Co. KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1