When 8 Mile was released in late 2002, it opened with a staggering $51 million three-day weekend. The film would eventually gross over $242 million worldwide. As it makes its Blu-ray debut, it's reasonable to wonder how it holds up now that Eminem has faded from being among the biggest cultural phenomena of this decade's first half.
With a new album due out next month, his first in nearly five years, Eminem is sure to be getting plenty of press again. But I had to ask, prior to screening this disc: Did 8 Mile survive as more than a quick cash-in on the star's popularity at the time. The answer is yes, with a few reservations.
Aiding matters greatly was the decision to hire an A-list director. Curtis Hanson was fresh from a pair of winners, 1997's L.A. Confidential and 2000's underrated Wonder Boys. He kept his hot streak going, infusing 8 Mile with enough grittiness to keep it from becoming a frivolity; more like a hip-hop Rocky than a silly Cool As Ice vanity piece.
A less serious-minded production team could have churned out a "Slim Shady" movie that might have pleased many fans, but ultimately could've turned into an embarrassment. A feature-length Eminem music video would have likely made a shallow and lazy excuse for a movie, but even with a more ambitious agenda, the script doesn't give anyone involved all that much to work with.
The plot is simple. Eminem plays Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, an aspiring rapper who works whatever jobs he can manage to hold onto. He presses bumpers at a Detroit automobile factory and lives with his mom and sister in a shabby trailer. His perpetually drunken mom, Stephanie (Kim Basinger), is dating a guy Rabbit knew in high school.
No one outside of Rabbit's best friends believes in his ability as a rapper, but that doesn't stop him from writing rhymes during his free time. He tries to work with a local wannabe record producer who can supposedly book him studio time.
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