Memorable, time-appropriate movie for the ages

Rating: 9/10 (7 September 2005)

First off, the main reason I like this movie is because it's so memorable. It's set in the mid-90's in a giant record store(think Tower without the corporation) called "Empire Records."
So, basically what happens is a chain of events that are only related to each other in the sense that they have to do with either the shop or its employees. It's very basic, with a pretty weak plot, but is fulfilled through its characters.
Speaking of characters, there is a LOT of symbolism going for this movie. What I admire about it most is that some of these characters, though symbolic, are very well fleshed out and I could swear that I've actually met people exactly like this. On the other hand, the character Rex Manning, supposed to symbolize the death of pop "artists" who sing and get paid, is very flat and has no background to speak of. The director made him just a tad bit too obvious about his role, so he didn't seem like a real person. You get my point.
Favorite character: Debra (remember the Craft?!) Favorite scene: Ethan's character chomping some herbal brownies and watching TV was hilarious, but the scene after the credits roll between the same character and the long haired boy talking about music was probably the most meaningful scene in the whole movie. Least favorite scene: Lucas gets anchored to the couch after he lost all the money. I think if I was a manager I might have actually fired him at some point...or at least smacked the snot out of him. Least favorite character: The manager! No back story, no good dialog really, and he was so freaking unrealistic(especially when he was mad at someone). He was a good actor but the director should have written him a back story, because he only /looked/ like he was complicated. Not good enough.
And that's my review. This movie has great music and unforgettable characters, but an uninteresting meta-plot and two-dimensional adults kills the fun considerably.
Until I hear it frooooom you...