

Lucas returns and rather than show repentance or guilt, calmly and repeatedly insists that everything will somehow work out, much to Joe's growing confusion and frustration. AJ confides in Joe that he loves Corey, and has chosen Rex Manning Day as the day he tells her.
#DEBRA EMPIRE RECORDS FULL#
Empire Records' owner, Mitchell Beck (Ben Bodé), arrives to collect the missing deposit, but Joe covers for Lucas and plays for time by handing Mitchell a bag full of loose receipts.
#DEBRA EMPIRE RECORDS FREE#
Corey's best friend and fellow cashier Gina (Renée Zellweger), a more adventurous and free spirit than Corey, encourages Corey in her pursuit of the much older Manning. No one is really looking forward to "Rex Manning Day" except cashier Corey (Liv Tyler), an overachieving student headed for Harvard University who has a schoolgirl crush on Rex, and plans to lose her virginity to him. Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield), a pompous, fading pop singer, is due to arrive to sign autographs and promote his new album "Back with More".

Joe is distracted from dealing with this immediate crisis due to a scheduled publicity stunt.

AJ and Mark feign ignorance as to the missing money when Joe discovers the night deposit was never made, and the money is missing. Lucas adopts a bizarre, almost zen-like attitude towards his actions. 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. While initially very lucky, he loses the entire amount. Lucas has an epiphany, and in an attempt to save the store, takes the day's cash receipts to Atlantic City. While counting the days receipts, Lucas discovers Empire Records is about to be converted into a branch of Music Town, a large and generic franchise music store. Joe selects Lucas (Rory Cochrane) to close the store for the first time. The staff is very much a self-created family, with Joe as the disinclined and perpetually exasperated father figure. Like the employees, the store is eclectic and unique. His employees are all high school students and young adults. Empire Records is a small independent record shop managed by Joe Reaves (Anthony LaPaglia).
