What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the movie is rated R for nonstop profanity, violence, drug references, and very explicit sexual references and situations. Characters vandalize and burn down an abandoned house, and a character accidentally shoots himself. There's a reference to child rape. Eminem's character has an unstable mother who's living with a boyfriend his age, and she speaks to her son in very inappropriate ways about her sexual relationship. Some viewers will be upset by the neglect of the main character's sister, a little girl who witnesses violence, family fights, a mother who drinks and has sex with a young man, and other abusive situations.
- Families who see this movie could talk about what changed in Rabbit's life to give him the guts to perform. Why was his willingness to insult himself before anyone else could a show of strength that was more devastating to his opponent than an attack could be? How is Eminem in the tradition of white musicians of the past who became successful by appropriating the music developed by black performers? Why did Future support Rabbit? Why did Rabbit support Bob?Families could also talk about the way the movie makes clear that having sex with someone should not be confused with thinking that you know the person or that you have a relationship. What were the signs that Alex was more interested in her career than in getting to know Rabbit? Note that in one scene, a character watches a short excerpt from a movie called Imitation of Life in which a black woman discovers that her daughter has been passing for white at school. Why would the director chose that scene to include? Families could also talk about how they feel about Eminem's lyrics and why they have been so popular with both teenagers and critics.