Empire Records (1995)
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A group of record store employees must navigate a chaotic day of internal conflicts and a potential corporate takeover.
The story
At an independent record store in Delaware, employee Lucas discovers that the shop is about to be sold to a large national chain. To keep the store independent, he takes the day's cash to a casino in Atlantic City to try and multiply the funds. The next morning, the staff must deal with the missing deposit while navigating a high-profile event involving a pop idol. Amidst the chaos of a potential corporate takeover and the fallout of the lost money, the employees must find a way to save their workplace and navigate their personal lives during one intense day.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Lucas, an employee at the independent store Empire Records, discovers the shop is slated for sale to a national chain. He takes the day's cash to a casino in Atlantic City to gamble for more money but loses it all. The next day, the staff—including a high school student, a local fan, and a troubled woman—must deal with the missing deposit while hosting a promotional event for pop idol Rex Manning. During the event, various interpersonal conflicts erupt: a student is humiliated by her crush, a shoplifter is apprehended, and a robbery occurs. After a frantic attempt to raise money through a public appeal and a rooftop concert, the owner offers to sell the store to the manager, Joe. The film ends with the staff celebrating together on the roof while the characters find personal resolutions.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Allan Moyle
- Writers
- Carol Heikkinen · writer
- Genres
- coming-of-age; comedy-drama
- Themes
- finding family at work; resisting corporate takeover; optimism
- Tone and mood
- quirky; optimistic
- Premise and plot tags
- ensemble cast; workplace drama
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews and was a box office failure, but it has since gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 35% · scale: percentage · review count: 37; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 7; TV Guide · score: 2 · scale: 5
- Production trivia
- The character of Rex Manning became an internet meme.; The film's script was inspired by the writer's time working in retail stores.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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