8 Mile (2002)

“Every moment is another chance”

Everybody has a goal. No doubt about that. But there is always something that is always trying to prevent you from achieving that goal. Sounds kind of like a movie right? A movie about making it big. With a rapper? Sounds good.

8 Mile is the 2002 film starring Eminem as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr. whose main goal in life is to become a rapper, but every time he goes up on stage “he drops bombs and he keeps on forgetting” and chokes. But the film dives deeper into his love life, his family life, and his everyday life in Detroit, Michigan.

When I first heard of this film in third grade, I was under the impression that this film was actually based in Eminem’s life; mostly because of the subject and the setting of the film. And then I read that the film was about a man’s goal in life (not based on Eminem) that was blocked by a geological, and psychological, border, 8 mile. However, despite the few mentions of an actual 8 mile in the film, I did not gather that this border of Detroit prevented Rabbit of accomplishing his goal. What I actually did gather was that there was this man with a goal in life but had to overcome other problems. To me, it was basically another week in the life of a hoodlum, but with some sort of twist.

He had this goal of becoming a man and forgetting about his past life. He loved his friends, but he didn’t. He loved his family, but he didn’t. His excuse to escape was becoming a musician. Music was pure escapism, not entertainment.

Eminem really surprised me in this role. He proved that he wasn’t just a great rapper, but also a good actor. It also sucks that he hasn’t gotten any new film roles. Kim Basinger also did a good job in her role as an alcoholic single mom. She pretty much is white trash. I read this review that she didn’t seem like someone who would live in a trailer, but that’s why it’s called acting. And she actually portrayed someone who seemed like they shoot up heroin every day and live on the streets eating the bird shit off the floor. Oh, and Brittany Murphy was also…very good. I don’t want to criticize her without feeling really bad.

8 Mile is a well made drama about getting priorities out of the way to escape your problems. It teaches people to take things in life and turn it into factors of your own escape, not something that you enjoy. I give the film a 4 out of 5 and you can buy it on DVD or watch it instantly on Netflix.