IMDb > 8 Mile (2002)
8 Mile
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
Photos (see all 143 | slideshow) Videos (see all 16 NEW)
8 Mile (2002) -- 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.
8 Mile (2002) -- Rabbit takes on a lunch truck rapper outside the factory.
8 Mile (2002) -- Theatrical Preview
8 Mile (2002) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
8 Mile (2002) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   49,831 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Curtis Hanson
Writer (WGA):
Scott Silver (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for 8 Mile on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 November 2002 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Music more
Tagline:
Go back to where it all started. more
Plot:
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 18 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(68 articles)
Eminem's Follow-Up To '8 Mile' Is 3-D Horror Anthology 'Shady Talez'
 (From MTV Movies Blog. 6 November 2009, 3:00 PM, PST)

8 Mile Actor Found Hanged
 (From WENN. 8 December 2008, 8:06 AM, PST)

User Comments:
A Quality Piece of Hard-Hitting Naturalism more (517 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
8 Mile (Germany)
8 Mile - Jeder Augenblick ist eine neue Chance (Germany) (DVD box title)
Fight Music (USA) (working title)
Fight Song (USA) (working title)
Untitled Detroit Project (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong language, sexuality, some violence and drug use.
Runtime:
110 min
Country:
USA | Germany
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | USA:R (certificate #39361) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Taiwan:R-18 | Philippines:R-18 | Hungary:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:14 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R13 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 (original rating) | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
As the rap battle scenes took days to film, and the 300 extras were starting to get bored, Curtis Hanson initiated an improv freestyle rap battle among them, where the three best rappers would be filmed going head to head with Eminem. 134 volunteers signed up, each getting 15 seconds in front of the judiciary panel to make an impression. This was then whittled down to 20. Ultimately the jury couldn't decide on just three and chose four instead, all of whom had a one-shot one-take-only scene with the film's star, who had to mime his responses to save his voice for the scripted scenes which remained to be shot. However, Eminem couldn't resist the challenge by staying silent (especially as the crowd was taunting him), and took on his opponents in his inimitable style. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Jimmy Smith Jr. is talking outside the factory, the crew (holding the boom mic) are reflected in the window behind him more
Quotes:
B. Rabbit: [whispering to Sol after winning a battle] Yo, that 'Leave it to Beaver' line almost killed me. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "100 höjdare: När hybrisen kom till byn (#3.6)" (2006) more
Soundtrack:
C.R.E.A.M. more

FAQ

What does 'Uncle Tom' mean?
Why did BRabbit start the fight with the Free World? (Spoilers)
What does 1Pac, 2Pac, 3Pac, 4Pac mean?
more
106 out of 120 people found the following comment useful.
A Quality Piece of Hard-Hitting Naturalism, 9 November 2002
8/10
Author: PeteBDawg from USA

8 Mile probably isn't what you expect. Given the cast and premise, you probably expect one of two things, either a silly excuse for self-aggrandizement or an overblown caricature of hip-hop culture. You don't get either. What you get is a brave film that is surprisingly culturally and intellectually rigorous and an aggressive film that is so emotionally intense that it seems to sometimes tear itself apart.

The plot is not a biography of Martial Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem, but it is very much informed and guided by the experiences of his early career as a rapper in blue-collar and no-collar Detroit. Eminem gives a compelled, powerful performance that diverges just enough from his public self to inject the story with a strong sense of realism without sacrificing anything artistically. The supporting cast also makes fine use of their considerable talents, carving the Detroit of this film out of the world itself, not out of fiction. Even as they help communicate a hard, unforgiving time and place, they also give rise to deep and profound sympathies that don't come around in every film.

The naturalistic presentation doesn't stop there; most of the film is shot on location in Detroit, and the gritty, sometimes almost frenzied design and cinematography firmly establish that this is not just another Hollywood movie. This is a movie that goes places movies don't generally go where, for good or for ill, many people do live every day. For one, 8 Mile might have the most believable, most powerful representation of an automobile factory of any film in the last twenty years, and it still manages to use the location for sophisticated, plot driving drama. Good stuff.

Of course, the film has its flaws. It's very heavy and bleak, at times it skirts the boundary of cliche a little bit, and the villains, a rival rap group known as the "Free World," are a little over the top, but, time and again, the solid acting and daunting camerawork keep coming back to seize the eye and command attention.

Oh, and, in case you were wondering, there is rapping, and plenty of it. The rapping is really top-quality, cutting edge stuff, for the most part, and it is integrated into the script so well that it is always clear that the characters choose to rap, not that the script forces them to do so. The rapping happens because it must happen to these characters at this time, not because Eminem is a rapper. In an industry where pop music movies are a dime a dozen, this is particularly impressive. This film says something about rap and the human experience that hasn't been articulated this well many times before; it bridges the gap between rap and poetry in a big way, and makes that gap look a lot smaller.

All in all, the thing that really defines 8 Mile is how committed to this idea the cast and crew must have been in order to make this film. Every minute and every second, the cast's intensity never gives up, and the camera never sleeps. The film is detailed, finely crafted, and has a pounding heart the size of a boxcar. If you don't mind the obscenity and violence (and there is a bunch), I'd definitely say this is a movie worth seeing.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (517 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for 8 Mile (2002)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Question to all fans of Eminem Elmorado
Who Thinks Eminem is a Good Actor? Tha_Expert
Its really just Rocky.....For rappers.. DeathFish
one thing i ... goran-v
top ten-35 favorite eminem songs jacque-henry
song help! sweetangel_9600
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Across the Universe Fierce People Midnight Cowboy Frozen River De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.