Eminem's '8 Mile' is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film starring Eminem and directed by Curtis Hanson. The film is loosely based on Eminem's actual upbringing, following white rapper Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith Jr. as he struggles to launch a career in a predominantly black hip-hop scene. The title of the film comes from 8 Mile Road, a road that runs along the city limits of Detroit, Michigan, where much of the film is set.