Build a movie plot around this: Who manages the record shop? Joe
The answer to this question is:
Empire Records is a small independent record shop managed by Joe (Anthony LaPaglia). His employees are all high-schoolers and young adults. The store, like the employees, is eclectic and unique. The staff is very much a self-created family, with Joe as the reluctant and perpetually exasperated father figure.Joe selects Lucas (Rory Cochrane) to close the store for the first time. While counting the days receipts, Lucas discovers that Empire Records is about to be converted into a branch of Music Town, a large and generic franchise music store. Lucas has an epiphany, and in an attempt to save the store, takes the day's cash receipts to Atlantic City. While initially very lucky, he loses the entire amount. The next morning, Mark (Ethan Embry) and AJ (Johnny Whitworth) find Lucas asleep behind the store, still perched on his motorcycle, and quickly deduce that Lucas has made a grievous mistake while entrusted with the store money. Lucas adopts a bizarre, almost zen-like attitude towards his actions. AJ and Mark feign ignorance as to the missing money when Joe discovers the night deposit was never made, and the money is missing.Joe is distracted from dealing with this immediate crisis due to a scheduled publicity stunt. Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield), a pompous, fading pop singer, is due to arrive to sign autographs and promote his new album. No one is really looking forward to "Rex Manning Day" except cashier Corey (Liv Tyler), a overachieving student headed for Harvard University who has a schoolgirl crush on Rex, and plans to lose her virginity to him. Corey's friend and fellow cashier Gina (Renee Zellweger), a more adventurous and free spirit than Corey, encourages Corey in her pursuit of the much older Manning.Empire's owner, Mitchell Beck (Ben Bode), arrives to collect the missing deposit, but Joe covers for Lucas and plays for time by handing Mitchell a bag full of loose receipts. AJ confides in Joe that he loves Corey, and has chosen Rex Manning Day as the day he tells her. Lucas returns and rather than...