The people of Detroit know 8 Mile as the city limit, a border, a boundary. It is also a psychological dividing line that separates Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem) from where and who he wants to be. 8 Mile is a provocative fictional examination of a critical week in Jimmy's life, starring multi-platinum recording artist Eminem in his first leading role in a feature film, along with Kim Basinger as Jimmy's mother, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy and Eugene Byrd.