] "If New Orleans is "the Big Easy," then Detroit is "the
] Big Ugly."
] A convenient metaphor for all things scary and doomed,
] the city has long served as a bleak backdrop for writers
] and filmmakers who paint it as a desolate, dangerous
] melange of burned-up buildings and forgotten dreams."

I'm fairly interested in seeing this movie. Making it out of a ghetto as a rapper is a difficult road, especially for a white guy. There is a very powerful story to tell here if they do it well. The thing is that Americans put so much focus on rock stars and basketball stars, and the fact is that most people who do get out of the ghetto are much more likely to come out of it as accountants then as rock stars, and the challenges associated with that are every bit as real. Focusing on talent based activities instead of skill based activities encourages people to focus on stuff that most people will never be good at no matter how hard they try.

Of course, right now you are thinking, who would go see a movie about an accountant. I'll offer that if we can't make the right message interesting its because we're not trying.

Detroit Shows Its True Grit in '8 Mile' - 11/6/02