8 Mile

Drama, Music

Eminem	Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith, Jr.
Kim Basinger	Stephanie Smith
Mekhi Phifer	David 'Future' Porter
Brittany Murphy	Alex
Evan Jones	Cheddar Bob
Omar Benson Miller	Sol George
De'Angelo Wilson	DJ Iz
Eugene Byrd	Wink
Taryn Manning	Janeane
Larry Hudson	Bouncer

Director	Curtis Hanson
Producer	Brian Grazer; Curtis Hanson
Writer	Scott Silver

Rap star Eminem makes a strong movie debut in 8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career--or with his life. Angry about his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and worried about his little sister, Rabbit lets out his feelings with twisting, clever raps admired by his friends, who keep pushing him to enter a weekly rap face-off. But Rabbit resists--until he meets a girl (Brittany Murphy) who might offer him support and a little hope that his life could get better. Under the smart and ambitious direction of Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) and ably supported by the excellent cast and the burnt-out environment of Detroit slums, Eminem reveals a surprising vulnerability that makes 8 Mile vivid and compelling. --Bret Fetzer