Empire Records (1995)


Anthony LaPaglia        Joe
Rory Cochrane           Lucas
Johnny Whitworth        AJ
Liv Tyler               Corey
Renee Zellweger         Gina
Robin Tunney            Debra
Ethan Embry             Mark
Maxwell Caulfield       Rex
Debi Mazar              Jane
Brendan Sexton III      Warren
Coyote Shivers          Berko
Ben Bode                Mitchell
James Wills (II)        Eddie

Directed by:            Allan Moyle
Produced by:            Arnon Milchan, Michael Nathanson, Tony Ludwig


Story traces a single tumultuous day in the lives of several young slackers who work at a bustling store 
named Empire Records. Anything can happen and everything does--relationships are tested and dilemmas are 
solved.. all just this side of the law. 

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This story about a day in the life of an independent record store, truly a threatened species, screeches 
with the sound of teenagers falling apart emotionally every five minutes. The script, which feels like an 
old guy's idea of how kids talk and think, concerns the young employees of a Delaware music shop faced with 
imminent extinction. While the ship is sinking, the staff indulge in tantrums, depressions, and run-ins with 
low self-esteem. There's a lot of noise in this thing, but not a lot is really said. Rory Cochrane has the 
best part as a secretive guy who loses the store's proceeds one night while gambling, Anthony LaPaglia is the 
adult boss and unofficial dad to the others, Renée Zellweger plays a promiscuous girl, and Liv Tyler is OK as 
a lovestruck sweet thing trying to get up the nerve to express her feelings to a fellow employee.

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A day in the life of the employees of Empire Records. Except this is a day where everything comes to a head 
for a number of them facing personal crises - can they pull through together? And more importantly, can they 
keep their record store independent and not swallowed up by corporate greed?

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Empire Records is going to be turned into a Music Town. It is up to the wacky employees to figure out a way to 
raise enough money to help their boss Joe keep the store from changing hands. They also deal with problems 
amongst themselves, love, and a has-been spoiled rock star named Rex Manning.