I watched the movie 8 Mile (2002) last night because I had just finished reading a book about him, White Noise: The Eminem Chronicles. I wanted to stay on topic a little longer lol. And I love him so ok put it on. I stayed up for the whole thing, unlike how I fall asleep to TV. It was good. It was entertaining. I knew what was coming because I’ve seen it before and just read a few analysis pieces on it. Stuff about the actress playing his mother doesn’t rehearse, or that Eminem wrote “Lose Yourself” while onset, or that they filmed the whole thing in Detroit on purpose. So you watch the movie looking out for those things. One writer commented on which girlfriend is more believable, that sort of thing.

To me, yea the ex is a little more legitimate. Taryn Manning has a midwestern real-life person look and sound and vibe. Brittany Murphy doesn’t seem real in that context. They barely even speak. She just is just wide open and down to fuck at all times. Like damn chill lol. Well I guess do I kinda get her. And then the ex, she’s someone who he just broke up with right at the start. She lied saying she was pregnant, so he left her the car on his way out the door and back to his mom’s in the opening scenes. We also get a glimpse of the ex later in her house on the couch alone. Eminem looks up one night from his car and sees her through the window. That hovering feeling is weird and real. You watch knowing that they probably get back together after the movie ends.

Some of the rap scenes are corny. I don’t know. I’ve worked at my fair share of bummy jobs and never saw three people ready to freestyle diss each other going hard as hell, like mad overboard, on their lunchbreak. Anyway of course the last rap he does is cool. Marshall Mathers himself reminds me a lot of my brother. In the movie, in real life, in character, whatever. Look alike, walk alike, they have a similar attitude. The moment Rabbit is in–trying to save up to record a demo–is also a good time period to document. A week in the life in 1995 when he’s homeless and alone and just needs to write his words.

-Rachel Wagner 2020