Reader Recommendation: Empire Records (1995)

I realized I was getting behind on my recommendations, so I decided to try and remedy that as much as I can this week. Today I started with a recommendation from @briantudor on twitter who said I should watch Empire Records. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it wasn't long into the film that I realized this had some big fairly big actors when they were still young and unknown. As a side note, I don't think that dog on the poster is even in the movie... odd. Anyways, hit the jump and find out what I thought about this musical cast.


The story follows a bunch of teens who all work at Empire Records, the local music store. One of the teens, Lucas, finds out that the store is about to be absorbed by a giant corporation. Lucas (Rory Cochrane) takes that day's earnings and attempts to win enough money at the casino with it to save the store. This of course fails and he's instantly made the situation far worse than it was before. Is there any way the rest of the gang can get enough money together to pay back the owner and also save the store?

At first I didn't think I liked Empire Records. All the characters seemed to be silly stereotypes with nothing to them except for the one characteristic they were given. As the movie progressed, and even more characters were revealed, I soon realized that I was quite wrong. While at first glance they all just seemed to be regular teens without a care in the world, we soon find out they almost all have an inner demon, and no one is as perfect or happy as they seem. It's that complex dynamic that is one of the things that makes this movie great.

It's always a party at Empire Records!

It was really interesting watching this movie, because at first I thought Debra, the goth chick who had cut her wrist, was the only one that had problems. It also seemed so stereotypical that she would be the one to do that, while all the other kids were the best of friends. There were a lot of characters, and a lot of time was spent on the Lucas character who I didn't really like, but around the halfway point, I suddenly realized that there was far more going on with these teens than the stereotypes they seemed to embody. Issues of sex, drugs, acceptance, and abandonment all get touched on and all in a solidly paced way that made the reveals feel genuine instead of forced. I really started to believe in these characters.

It was cool seeing Renée Zellweger and Liv Tyler in their teens, and of course they're gorgeous and both have some skimpily clothed scenes, but they weren't my favorite characters. My favorite was probably Debra, played by Robin Tunney. I know I've seen her in something, but it's hard to place where it was, even after reading her IMDB page. All this proves is that she needed to be in more things, but she wasn't, and that's a shame. I also ended up growing to quite like the wild and crazy Mark, played by Ethan Embry. His character didn't have as much depth as many of the others were revealed to have, but he was a fun character filled with life and just reminds you of that one crazy guy everyone knew in high school.

A younger Liv Tyler, still as cute as ever, but no one is perfect as we find out

On the downside though, I really thought the character of Warren (Brendan Sexton III) was acted really poorly through the whole movie. And while some might label the Lucas character as quite iconic, I generally found him to be too odd for my tastes, which lead into being annoying for me.

Something else I realized during the film was about the store. The store is basically a character itself. But more than that, it represents that home away from home. Empire Records is that place you could go as a kid or teen that, no matter what was going on in your life, you were always welcomed, there was always a friend to talk to, and a place where you could go, but your troubles couldn't follow. I really liked the moment between store manager Joe and Debra, when he approaches her to see if she needs someone to talk to. When it's clear she's having trouble opening up, he can at least still reassure her that her good work is appreciated. Similarly, when A.J. is very agitated when he learns of Debra's wound, Lucas says to him "She's in the store. She's going to be okay."

Debra cuts the rumors off and announces her suicide issue to the other girls

It's all these things that make you then realize how horrible it is that it will soon all be gone when it's changed into the new franchise music store. Many of them will lose their job outright as their appearance doesn't fit the new company rules. They can't play the music they want, they can't dance in the isles and goof around and have fun. It's a place of young romance, family, and most of all safety. And soon it will all be gone. I didn't actually realize all this until the very end when they start having a party to raise funds for the store. It was only then that I realized how important this place was because of all the things I'd seen happen there in one day.

I really can't seem to put into words how I felt at the end of the movie. I started off thinking Empire Records was a very standard teen comedy, but then I witnessed characters reveal complex character flaws, and completely breakdown only to still find acceptance. The store is more than just a bunch of friends, it becomes a family and a safe haven. I watched as a simple music store became something much more. I'm so glad I got to see this film, as is probably obvious from this giant write-up. I wish I could just keep going on about all the characters, and the great music throughout the movie and the sub-plots and the goofy singer they had visit the store, but I think I've already said enough. Check this movie out, I'd definitely be willing to watch it again now that I know who all these characters really are.