I first watched Empire records as a teenager and thought it was one of the best films ever made. Now nostalgia can make me watch it again and again and although I have down-graded it somewhat from 'World's Greatest Movie', I still feel that this is a good film about young adult life and deserves to be a teen classic.
The film is about a group of teenagers who work in an independent record store (called Empire Records) run by Joe. The story opens with one of the employees, Lucas, discovereidng that the store is not making enough money and may be sold to a chain called Music Town. To try and save the shop he takes the day's takings and tries to win gambling in Atlantic City but ends up losing it all. Empire Records now in serious danger of having to be sold to the chain, the film follows one day in the life of the store and it's employees and their personal ups and downs as well as, somewhat inevitably, their plans to save the store from being taken over.
Empire records can be predictable as it doesn't deviate far from the standard tales of teenage issues. Also the characters are not beyond cliche with the gormless, chilled-out stoner, the overachiever and the sick-with-love boy who is too scared to tell the object of his desire how he feels. There are also the usual fall-outs, former enemies coming to realise that they can appreciate each other and soppy romantic scenes where love is declared.
However, the film also has a dose of kookiness that keeps me interested. All the teenagers are kinds of outsiders and most indie film buffs can relate to to at least one of them. Also these kids have the job that most of us wished we had when we were teenagers but rarely actually exists-most people I know who enjoyed the film would have loved to work in a indie music shop. Similarly the idea of a small local business struggling against corporate competition is one that may not be startlingly new but has a positive message and means the story isn't simply one of teenage angst. Being about a record store, the film also has a great soundtrack.
Empire Records is fun and feelgood whilst having a quirkiness that sets it apart from other teen films.
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Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
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