Empire Records

Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Renee Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Ethan Embry, Debi Mazar, Robin Tunney, Maxwell Caulfield, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Coyote Shivers, Brendan Sexton III
Directed by: Allan Moyle
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, War
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of young record store employees interact over the course of 24 crazy hours.

Review:

Tim: I grew up in the 1990s, so I generally have a lot of nostalgia for films from this era. Oddly enough, I never watched Empire Records growing up- or, in the unlikely event that I did see it, I had zero memory of it. So, watching it as an adult was for the first time. No built-in nostalgia here. I generally liked the movie. I don't think this is truly a bias, but I think coming-of-age movies like this hit a peak in the 90s. There's so many classic films from that era. This isn't one of them, but it's still enjoyable.

The movie definitely has a plot, but it always feels secondary. It's mostly about learning about these interesting characters, seeing them interacting. The movie works hard to capture that feeling of being young and carefree in the mid 90s. The characters feel relatable if you grew up in that era. While none of them are especially unique, you do feel some connection to them. The script throws a bunch of classic 90s tropes into the mix. None of it feels especially serious. It's meant to be fun, to entertain. Even the deeper parts of the story feel purposely shallow. It's a movie that gives the impression of more depth than it actually possesses. It's a movie purely out to entertain. For the most part, it succeeds in that.

The film really does live and die based on the characters. They are mostly good. Anthony LaPaglia brings the most gravitas to the cast and delivers a strong performance. He's older, so he's mostly restrained in the role. But, he sells it and it brings a certain level of respectability to the whole cast. It's a good performance. Liv Tyler was perhaps the most memorable part of the film. Even without seeing the movie, I recognized her iconic outfit on the cover of the VHS, DVD, and posters. It felt perfectly 1990s and it perfectly encapsulates this movie- it doesn't quite make logical sense, it has a "go big or go home" mentality to it. Tyler is definitely not just there for the visuals- she gives a worthwhile performance that manages to connect emotionally with the audience. I felt like she was the most interesting character in the film and undergoes a worthwhile arc. She's definitely one of the highlights of the film. Renee Zellweger was quite good, too. Her performance is a bit uneven, but there's definitely some highs that emerge as the more memorable aspects of the film. I thought her performance was solid and even though she felt older than her character, I enjoyed what she did here. She and Tyler have some nice scenes together. I always love seeing Ethan Embry. While his character felt a bit forced here, he brings his trademark humor and charisma to the role. He definitely makes the movie better. Rory Cochrane's character was a bit ridiculous, but he gives one of the best performances of the film. Even when I was annoyed by his character, I was impressed with what Cochrane was doing. Johnny Whitworth felt clearly beneath the talent level of the rest of the cast. He's fine, but they needed a better actor in this role. His relatively lower talent hurts the movie. Brendan Saxton III was solid- he's not a great actor, either, but he puts a lot of effort into his performance. Unfortunately, the whole resolution of his character's story was absurd, ludicrous, and absolutely a low point for the film. I'm not sure why they sacrificed so much believability for that. I couldn't take the film very seriously after seeing how his story developed. Robin Tunney adds a great supporting performance. She could have used even more screen time. Maxwell Caulfield was humorous, considering how out-of-touch his character was. As a whole, the cast might not be all-time great, but it's really effective.

It felt like the movie definitely prioritized entertainment before anything else. It certainly has an MTV music video quality vibe to it. For the most part, this works, but the film inexplicably loses its grip on reality at various times. The script delivers interesting, relatable characters, but it pours way too much into one day. When you step back and consider everything that happens in the course of this film, it makes almost no sense. It ultimately feels like wish fulfillment, like a fever dream of your typical 90s teen. There was a way to tell this story a bit more grounded in reality. Focus more on the characters, less on the insane shenanigans they get up to. That was the path to delivering a better quality movie. Allan Moyle wasn't the right director for this film. He delivers a good movie, but the potential was here for much more.

The film throws a lot of story elements out there, but none of them really stick. I felt like it captured what it was like working at a record store in the 1990s- there was probably a few moments of excitement throughout the day, but much more monotony. Some things were imagined- when reality doesn't live up to our youthful hopes, we can tend to fantasize. A shift would ultimately have its own ups and downs, but it ultimately feels a bit pointless. It's not the worst way to spend your time- you left richer than when you started- but it feels like it all just washed over you. That's a good way to describe this movie. Much of it is ridiculous, some of it a bit too dull. You aren't quite upset at the time invested- Empire Records is a good movie, absolutely. You care about the characters to a certain extent- it's always the people who resonant at that age. But as good as it all is, it leaves you wishing for more.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Can't Hardly Wait, Clueless, Mallrats