Part of Music City Mondays
Belly full of mom’s spaghetti and head full of dreams, Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr. (Eminem) is sick of the melancholic lull of his monotonous life. This semi-autobiographical film is set in the backdrop of Detroit’s underground rap scene where Jimmy, undoubtedly talented, struggles to gain credibility being the only white guy with a fighting chance for the crown. Encouraged by his best friend Future (Mekhi Phifer)vand his girlfriend Alex (Brittany Murphy), Jimmy knows that he only has one shot — one opportunity — to seize everything he’s ever wanted.
“Since his ascension to pop-culture royalty, Eminem has transformed the messy emotions of his life into musical black comedy. In 8 MILE, that life becomes an equally riveting drama.” —Nathan Rabin, A.V. Club
“The movie has some of the braggadocio of its white-trash hero, building to its competitive climax as if it were a gladiatorial sporting event, and it carried me all the way.” —Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader