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8 Mile  (2002) 
 
Critic Reviews

77
Metascore
Based on 38 critic reviews provided by  Metacritic.com

100
 Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Transcends its star's controversial career and, in the bargain, stands head, shoulders and heart above every other Hollywood movie that we've seen so far this year.

91
 Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Movie stars radiate a power -- physical, erotic, spiritual -- that draws an audience into their orbit. Yet watching Curtis Hanson's gritty and electrifying 8 Mile, the first thing you notice about Eminem, the most scaldingly powerful artist in pop music today, is how vulnerable he looks.

90
 Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
The film is never more real than when Jimmy unloads his anger on someone close to him, a frequent occurrence. Eminem is an actor with a rare gift for rage, and movie careers, even big ones, have been built on less.

88
 USA Today Mike Clark
The rap sequences are shot and edited with the excitement of a crisply broadcast sporting event, which in a way they are.

88
 The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
Some movies, a very few, possess the purity of myth, and they don't have to be great to be greatly important. "The Wild One" is an example; "Saturday Night Fever" is another. Now add 8 Mile to that short list.

75
 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Eminem survives the X-ray truth-telling of the movie camera, which is so good at spotting phonies. He is on the level.

75
 San Francisco Chronicle Jonathan Curiel
A "Rocky"-like tale of determination and long odds that will appeal even to those who are turned off by most rap music.

75
 Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
The real drama -- and poetry -- in 8 Mile are in those fiery face-offs, the hip-hop battles, as Jimmy rat-tat-tats his rap in deft flashes of spontaneous combustion.

75
 New York Daily News Jami Bernard
Basinger gives one of her best performances as a woman too young, poor and overwhelmed to handle motherhood. And the uncommonly self-assured Murphy proves again that she is a cut above other actresses of her tender years.

75
 Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
Flaws and all, it really does show a star being born.

75
 Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
There is some exhilarating wordplay in 8 Mile, and you don't have to be a fan of rap to appreciate its quicksilver energy and mischievous wit. For all its grit, 8 Mile ends up radiating a joyful, hopeful vibe. It's an old-school charmer.

75
 New York Post Jonathan Foreman
What makes 8 Mile transcend the formulaic nature of its plot is the way it makes these rap competitions compelling even for those unfamiliar with rap music, and its scrupulous, loving rendition of a grim, wintry Detroit circa 1995.

See all 38 reviews on Metacritic.com
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8 Mile (2002) Poster 



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8 Mile (2002)
  110 min   -  Drama | Music  -  8 November 2002 (USA)  

6.8
Your rating:
     -/10  

Ratings: 6.8/10 from 126,211 users   Metascore:  77/100 
 Reviews: 540 user  | 201 critic  |  38  from  Metacritic.com 

A young rapper, struggling with every aspect of his life, wants to make the most of what could be his final opportunity but his problems around gives him doubts.

Director:
 Curtis Hanson
Writer:
 Scott Silver
Stars:
 Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger | See full cast and crew  

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Related News
Eminem Plans to Commit 'Random Acts of Violence' for Fox 
 7 January 2011 5:01 AM, EST  | The Wrap 
Eminem to head up new boxing drama Southpaw 
 14 December 2010 4:56 AM, EST  | TotalFilm 
"Clueless" Star Brittany Murphy Dies 
 20 December 2009 10:02 PM, EST  | E! Online 
See all 73 related articles »


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Title: 8 Mile (2002)
8 Mile (2002) on IMDb  6.8/10  
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Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 19 nominations. See more awards »  .
 

Videos
 8 Mile -- Grammy Award-winning phenomenon Eminem makes his feature film debut in this gripping story about the boundaries that hold us back - and the courage that can set us free.  8 Mile -- Rabbit takes on a lunch truck rapper outside the factory.

Photos
Curtis Hanson and Eminem in 8 Mile Still of Kim Basinger and Eminem in 8 Mile Apollonia Kotero at event of 8 Mile
 142 photos | 11 videos | 73 news articles »
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 Drama | Music

     7.9/10  

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Director: Cameron Crowe
Stars: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson




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. 
Edit 
Cast
Cast overview, first billed only:
Eminem  Eminem   ... 
Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith

Kim Basinger  Kim Basinger   ... 
Stephanie Smith

Mekhi Phifer  Mekhi Phifer   ... 
David 'Future' Porter

Brittany Murphy  Brittany Murphy   ... 
Alex

Evan Jones  Evan Jones   ... 
Cheddar Bob

Omar Benson Miller  Omar Benson Miller   ... 
Sol George

De'Angelo Wilson  De'Angelo Wilson   ... 
DJ Iz

Eugene Byrd  Eugene Byrd   ... 
Wink

Taryn Manning  Taryn Manning   ... 
Janeane

Larry Hudson  Larry Hudson   ... 
Bouncer

Proof  Proof   ... 
Lil' Tic

Mike Bell  Mike Bell   ... 
Shorty Mike

DJ Head  DJ Head   ... 
Battle DJ

Michael Shannon  Michael Shannon   ... 
Greg Buehl

Chloe Greenfield  Chloe Greenfield   ... 
Lily Smith

See full cast »
. 
Edit 
Storyline

A rap version of "Saturday Night Fever." B-Rabbit, a wannabe rapper from the wrong side of Detroit's 8 Mile, has problems: he dumps his girlfriend when she tells him she's pregnant; to save money to make a demo tape, he moves into his alcoholic mom's trailer; his job's a dead end, and he's just choked at the local head-to-head rap contest. Things improve when he meets Alex - an aspiring model headed for New York - and a fast-talking pal promises to set up the demo. Then new setbacks: Alex isn't faithful, mom rejects him, rifts surface with his friends, and he's mugged by rivals. Everything hinges on the next rap showdown at the club. Can B-Rabbit pull truth out of his cap? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
 Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plot Keywords:
 contest | model | friend | white male pretending to be black | crutch | See more » 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglines:
 Lose Yourself In the Music  See more » 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Genres:
  Drama |  Music 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong language, sexuality, some violence and drug use |  See all certifications » 
Parents Guide:
  View content advisory »  . 
Edit 
Details

Official Sites:
 Universal Pictures [United States] 
Country:
 USA | Germany
Language:
 English
Release Date:
 8 November 2002 (USA) See more » 
Also Known As:
 Fight Music See more » 
Filming Locations:
 Chin Tiki Club - 2121 Cass Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, USA See more » 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Box Office

Budget:
 $41,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend:
 $635,354 (Japan) (30 May 2003)
Gross:
 $5,240,354 (Japan) (4 July 2003) See more » 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Company Credits

Production Co:
 Imagine Entertainment, Mikona Productions GmbH & Co. KG See more » 
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Specs

Runtime:
 110 min
Sound Mix:
 DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Color:
 Color
Aspect Ratio:
 2.35 : 1 See full technical specs » . 
Edit 
Did You Know?

Trivia
The cans in which prints of the movie were transported to theaters were labeled "Mars Project". See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goofs
When Jimmy gets his sweater from behind the bin before the first battle, Cheddar Bob asks "are you going to stay at your Mom's?", then puts his cigar to his mouth. When the angle changes so you can see all of the 313, Bob is clearly holding his cigar down when it should be in his mouth. See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quotes
Alex: Are you asking me out on a date Jimmy Smith Jr?
B. Rabbit: Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am.
Alex: Why don't you take me somewhere now?
See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crazy Credits
The final credit reads, "Filmed on location in the 313" See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connections
Referenced in Get Him to the Greek (2010) See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soundtracks
I'll Be There For You
 (Puff Daddy Remix)
 Written by Nick Ashford (as Nickolas Ashford), Valerie Simpson, Method Man (as Clifford Smith) and RZA (as Robert Diggs Jr.)
 Performed by Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige
 Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
 By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
 Courtesy of Def Jam Records
 Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
See more » .

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What does 'Uncle Tom' mean?
Q:  What does 1Pac, 2Pac, 3Pac, 4Pac mean?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) » . 
User Reviews
Powerful silences    
11 November 2002 | by Chris Knipp  (Berkeley, California) – See all my reviews

Those who are saying `8 Mile' shows a vanilla-ed Eminem may have a point: this movie introduces him to a non-rap audience just as `Wild Style' introduced us to hip-hop. But those who say Eminem is sanitized here for mall viewing have an odd notion of language. Perhaps his CD's contain more inflammatory material than is aired in this movie, but what gets said here is most definitely not for any suburban grandmothers who aren't stone deaf.
It's surprising - admirable, really - how well Curtis Hansen and his crew keep track of the plot from scene to scene when not much of it seems to matter other than Rabbit's problems with his mother, Stephanie Smith -- Kim Basinger. Bassinger is a blue ribbon southern white trash trailor park mom. You can't help feeling that with minor tweaking she could be the mother of a Grosse Pointe prep school boy, a lady whose problem was overspending instead of imminent eviction from a stinky trailor. Bassinger makes trashiness look attractive, just as she made movie star decay attractive when Hansen directed her in `L.A. Confidential' six years ago. Rabbit's problems with girlfriends aren't significant, though he has two of them, an ex and a new one. Both are delicious but primed for rejection. Rabbit's closest relationships are with his emcee pal `Future' (played by an utterly charming and huggable Mikhi Pfifer) and his slightly retarded token white homie, Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones).
But his closest relationship of all is with himself, as is clear from the first scene, where Eminem is doing rap gestures in the competition shed men's room, looking in the mirror, hearing his music in his head --and this is fine, because it's what a young man has to do: get on friendly working terms with who he is. The movie is about his going off to be on his own and give up his rowdy playmates to become a winner, and he walks off by himself in the final scene. The comparison with Shakespeare's Henry IV isn't out of place. The Shakespearean parallel was used explicitly for Keanu Reeves' character in `My Own Private Idaho' but the theme is really more central here. Eminem isn't a cold personality like Keanu Reeves in Van Sant's movie. He is close to his mates and they're always touching hands and gently hugging each other. The hands and the hugs are one of the main images that stay with you after seeing `8 Mile.'
Eminem as shown in `8 Mile' isn't totally motivated by his anger at all. His anger is very contained. He seems able to turn it on and off at will and release it only when he needs it -- to trounce rap competition or throw out his mom's sleazy boyfriend. It's his ability to control his anger that makes both Rabbit and Eminem winners.
Eminem does have an authenticity about him that makes for a strong presence on screen. Paradoxically he projects a powerful inwardness, so that his turning away from everybody makes his face jump out at us. His effect is of authenticity, because he doesn't put on a reaction to please the audience or suit the scene, but he is always there, moving with the scene and in fact creating it.
`8 Mile' isn't just a vehicle for Eminem. It's too well made a movie to be that. But without Eminem `8 Mile' wouldn't exist. The only importance of the rapping contests emceed by `Future' is that first Rabbit shies away from them, and then he enters them and wins them. You have to wonder how the rapper/actors feel who are in the movie only to be put down by Eminem.
`8 Mile' cannot escape from the limitations of the fictionalized star biopic. There have been dozens of movies about emerging music stars and their families, their early sponsors, their first big breaks, and so on, many of them with more range and specificity of detail than this one. This movie only takes its hero to the moment when he walks away, having shown that he can be a star. The whole focus is on his personality, and in particular his stillness. The most important moments are those when Rabbit/Eminem stands with mike in hand, silent, waiting for inspiration to strike. Even when he choses not to compete and hands the mike back, this moment is full of power. In this movie Eminem carries the expression of sheer imminence, raw potential, to a new level of clarity and confidence.
This rapper is good just standing there.



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