8 Mile

The movie 8 Mile is set in Detroit and is a story based loosely on the life of rapper Eminem. In fact he is the star of the movie. The main character is aspiring rapper Rabbit with a bad case of stage fright. He is a white rapper which is rare since most rappers are African American. That alone made some people question his skills. He gets a job working at a factory and has hit rock bottom. He has to move back home with his mother. A member of his crew gives him hope in the form of a rap battle at a local spot. The battle is where two rappers try to outdo each other and the best one is considered to be the winner.

Rabbit finds a girlfriend who ends up cheating on him with his best friend. Rabbit has tried to get on stage in front of a crowd before but had such as bad case of stage fright he could not come up with any rhyme. He said nothing and got booed off the stage. He is given another chance with battle a rival group on stage. Winner takes all including respect of the neighborhood. During his big rap battle he is able to overcome his stage fright. Rabbit mentions all the things that can be used against him such as living at home in a trailer, his girlfriend was cheating on him, and his friend accidently shooting himself.

He also mentions that his opponent is from a nice family and his “ghetto” appearance is fake. He mentioned everything that would make him look bad. There was nothing the other rapper could say about him that was not already mention. He ends up saying nothing and walking off stage. The movie ends with Rabbit gaining the respect of the crowd and possibly attention and fame to come. Rabbit is not blinded by his new found local fame. He heads back to work at the factory but with new found hope that his life of hardships would soon be ending and he may be able to make it as a rap star.