Thoughts : 8 Mile (2002)
The legendary path to fame that hip-hop icon Eminem took is the stuff of legend. Born and raised in poverty, he struggled his entire life before taking a chance on himself by entering the 1997 Scribble Jam freestyle battle, a move that made him both infamous and an important unsigned artist on several record label radars. This eventually led to his signing on Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records, and the rest (as they say) is history. Therefore, who better to star in a loosely autobiographical tale about Eminem than the man himself? Thus was born 8 Mile.
Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem), known in the hip hop community as B-Rabbit, is a gifted lyricist, but the pressures of life seem to constantly get in the way. After abruptly leaving his girlfriend Janeane (Taryn Manning) and freezing on stage during an MC battle, Jimmy finds himself homeless and frustrated with his lot in life, despite the support of his friends Future (Mekhi Phifer), Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones), Sol George (Omar Benson Miller) and DJ Iz (De’Angelo Wilson). Forced to move back home with his mother (Kim Basinger) and get a job at Detroit Stamping, Jimmy is feeling like giving up when a couple of opportunities present themselves : local promoter and childhood friend Wink (Eugene Byrd) promises to get Jimmy studio time to record a demo, and Jimmy meets Alex (Brittany Murphy), whom he is instantly attracted to. These opportunities turn out, however, to not be what they first seemed. Wink is deep in the promotional trenches with Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie) and the Free World crew, and Alex is looking for opportunities of her own (and is willing to do whatever it takes to make them happen). Jimmy attempts to get his life together despite the odds, culminating in a chance at redemption during another MC battle.
8 Mile puts a fresh and unique twist on the ‘based on a true story’ trope. Broad strokes are taken from Eminem’s real life : his battle rap prowess, growing up in poverty on the outskirts of Detroit, and monumental issues between he and his mother. The details, however, are given the Hollywood treatment to wonderful effect, creating a sense of meta-ness unlike any other hip-hop film before it or sense. You essentially know the story has a happy ending, as you are watching the star of the story give you a fictionalized version of his struggle to stardom, yet the end product is wholly captivating, gripping and entertaining.
One subtle aspect that often goes unnoticed is the fact that the film is a period piece. This is most obvious in regards to the soundtrack and the era of hip-hop that is showcased in the diegetic sound, club/battle sequences, and even the music videos playing on TVs throughout the film. I still crack up each time the Free World pulls up anywhere, as I, too, used to drive around listening to South Central Cartel’s Gang Stories on blast. Other subtle touches include wardrobe (ie Mecca and FUBU gear, as well as bubblegoose jackets).
The entire film is a build-up to one of the most powerful and captivating final sequences ever captured. The seed planted during Jimmy’s freeze in the opening moment of the film is more than paid off during the epic final battle, specifically the final round. The best thing about the battle is that Jimmy’s opponents actually spit credible, solid raps that , in any other film (or against any other MC), would probably be impossible to come back from, which only serves to show the true power of Jimmy’s wordplay, and by proxy, Eminem’s ability to paint a picture with his lyrics.
Eminem is surprisingly captivating as an actor, albeit the fact that he is essentially playing himself. His humor lands, and his dramatic moments, while not Oscar worthy, show enough range to keep you interested in his journey. Mekhi Phifer brings a solid supportive energy needed for a lifetime friend and confidant, while embracing the wonderful contradiction of being a knucklehead by night and spiritual journeyman by day. Brittany Murphy is enticing as the love interest, but unfortunately comes off as a bit of a one note character, similar to Anthony Mackie and Eugene Byrd, although all three are entertaining in their roles. Kim Basinger embraces her role as Jimmy’s mother and constant source of pain/irritation in his life, especially with her relationship to a wonderfully hilarious Michael Shannon performance as a deadbeat. Evan Jones is the scene-stealing MVP as Cheddar Bob.
I don’t know if there is another rapper out there that can pull off a film similar to 8 Mile. The closest I can think of is Krush Groove, but only half of the Simmons brothers have the nerve to portray themselves, with Russell famously opting to cast Blair Underwood to play himself. When it’s all said and done, 8 Mile will more than likely stand the test of time as a hip-hop cult classic.
