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8 Mile is known to be an American hip-hop drama which came out in 2002, starring Eminem with Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer and Brittany Murphy. Financially the film became rather successful and was well received. Eminem’s hip hop song, ‘Lose Yourself’ even won an Academy Award for best original song.
The film is shot around the year 1995 and Eminen stars as Jimmy Smith Jr. who is a young blue collar worker, rather unhappy and struggling with various elements in his life. Kim Basinger plays the character of Stephanie, Jimmy’s alcoholic mother. Chloe Greenfield plays Lilly, Jimmy’s sister and Michael Shannon play’s Greg, Stephanie’s boyfriend who is abusive. Jimmy lives in Warren in a run down trailer north of 8 Mile. Jimmy’s ambition is to get his music career back on track, but it seems that he just doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. At the beginning of the film, you see Jimmy’s girlfriend Janeane pregnant with whom he ends the relationship and then moves on to Alex played by Brittany Murphy who shows up at the factory he is working in.
Jimmy has come to a point in his life where he realizes his life is stagnant since high school days. At first, he believes that his circumstances are to blame for his various problems. But as time goes by, Jimmy slowly begins to take responsibility for his life and actions and realizes that he can control the way he wants his life to go. He even wonders if the friends in his life including Future, played by Mekhi Phifer are not getting a hold on reality and moving on to bigger and better things. He decides to put his music career on hold for the time being and devote more time to building a better home life and day job. Jimmy soon captures the attention of his supervisor, even though the supervisor is skeptical at the beginning when Jimmy requests extra work. As Jimmy’s attitude improves, he earns the extra work that he originally asked for. However, there is a conflict that is taking place in the middle of the film.
There is a rap group that has made life difficult for Jimmy during the film. Wink, makes promises to Jimmy that he can make him rich and famous by introducing him to influential people. At the end he betrays Jimmy by hooking up with Alex, Jimmy’s new girlfriend. Jimmy ends up beating Wink. Wink to get his own revenge beats Jimmy outside his trailer park home in front of his sister. While Jimmy has been known to be a great rapper, the film only portrays snippets of his talent. In the final battle or the tournament, Jimmy has to face the rap group. The first and second rounds are won by Jimmy hands down. In the final round he is paired with the main antagonist in the story known as Papa Doc. Papa Doc is the most feared competitor. Jimmy proudly showcases his white roots and the humiliation afflicted on him by the rap group while revealing the truth about his fierce competitor. Papa Doc despite acting like a thug comes from a privileged background, attended a private school and lived with his parents in a stable home.
Jimmy makes the crowd go crazy with his ‘Shook Ones Pt.’ Papa Doc is speechless and backs down from rebutting. The film ends with Jimmy saying that he has to be at work seeming more confident at the future that lies ahead of him.
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