Thanks for the insights; I agree.
Barry was the absolute best part of this movie. In fact, it'd probably be unwatchable without him. Every line and facial expression delivered by Jack Black is gold.
I should've emphasized that Jack's character is generally entertaining, offsetting Cusack's mopey character. But the way he felt that his opinion on music was Law was arrogant and obnoxious, particularly when he cusses out that father who just came in to purchase a song for his daughter. If I were Rob (Cusack) I would've fired him on the spot or, at least, written him up. When you have a business you respect & serve the needs of the customer, not radically chase 'em away with fighting words. Businesses that do otherwise won't stay in business. Of course, I realize it's a dramedy and not real life. But it would've been great if the father beat the snot out of the little pompous moron.
My 175 (or so) Favorite Movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

Are you kidding me?? Barry was the absolute best part of this movie. In fact, it'd probably be unwatchable without him. Every line and facial expression delivered by Jack Black is gold.
The two main characters, not so much. Rob is a mopey douche with an undeserved elitist ego, who deserves the self-pity that he loves to wallow in. He basically has nothing going for him, and I mean emotionally on top of professionally. He chooses to view everything negatively while having a high opinion of only himself. Maybe that's the point, that he's growing up and realizing his mistakes, but he's not a very relatable character.
Laura, as you said, is emotionally unstable, nitpicky, with an ego of her own. She's blaming him for their relationship not working out because HE was the one who DIDN'T change? I don't understand how she fell for him in the first place, but he's the same guy, for better or for worse. What if he did change, and turned into something that she hated? She could at least acknowledge that she's the one who changed and grew out of him, rather than blaming him for not doing whatever it is he was supposed to do in her eyes. Being with someone emotionally stunted and with the same level of maturity they had years ago would get tiring, but you can't fault someone for remaining true to themselves. At least try to HELP him grow, and work it out.
Anyways I like the music/record store culture of this movie, the writing and direction, and Jack Black. The two leads are intolerable but it's a solid movie.

Did anyone else have a hard time watching this? After almost an hour into the movie, I just deleted it which I don't usually do to movies. It just dragged with uninteresting and annoying characters, especially the main character, Rob.
I had a hard time staying with this, but finished it. The scene where Ian confronts Rob at the record store in the second half is laugh-out-loud funny, and there are a few other amusing parts, but Rob's relationship with Laura is decidedly
un
interesting and Laura's emotional instability became increasingly annoying. In fact, all of Rob's past relationships became annoying. Then there's Barry who arrogantly thinks his opinion on music is law; it goes without saying that he desperately needed his teeth knocked in. Thankfully, Dick showed the way to go with romantic relationships.
"Empire Records" (1995) is better because it doesn't go overboard with the dating/romance head-games crap.
My 175 (or so) Favorite Movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

Sorry, kids, not every film is about gunfights, explosions & car chases. If you ever made a mix tape for a woman, then you would appreciate this film. Great writing, great humor, great insights, and of course lot's of fun for music lovers/nerds.

Try again.
It took me three goes to get through it and in the end I really enjoyed it.
The characters are hard work but the pay off is worth the effort.

Blah I hate those movies. Paid money to see see the 2nd Rings and fell asleep ;).
Still haven't finished High Fidelity, but I would recommend it to everyone to see it. Great movie but is not clicking it for me. Great writing, great actorsbut something always brings me down watching it.

Lemme guess, you're a Transformers, Stupor Hero, Lord of the Rings Harry Potter dork

Third time the charm! I have 40 minutes left. Started watching it in 09.

Try it when you grow up.

Yea this breaking the 3rd wall stuff isn't for me. I am a music lover and I found this very boring and I couldn't relate.

Not at all.
"Why couldn't the monkey arrange this from INSIDE the garbage can?"

just stayed for the music, man, this movie sucks!

It pays off for me in the end, but the buildup is horribly blurred. The first hour is pretty dreadful, and then suddenly he isn't a total dick. I gave it a 7, but only for the ending. The first hour sucks.

Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

The day a woman like Catherine Zeta Jones would bother with a schmuck
like john cusack is the day hell freezes over.

To the OP, yeah, same, couldn't finish it. There was just nothing about Rob that would convince me that a woman like Laura would come back to an a-hole like that, I don't know of any woman that would have stuck around for half of his bull and it was science fiction for her to just go running back when Rob didn't do jack to win her affection back, he just acted like a 3 year old the whole time. Maybe the movie should have just focused on records and people that buy records.
Life is always intense for a repo man.

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No, not at all. But, that is exactly how I felt about Say Anything.

I felt like I should have been rewarded a trophy for sitting through until the end.

I say the same thing. "'Boring' is not a criticism. 'Boring' is more a reflection on the viewer than the film."

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There are no boring films, just boring people.
If you really mean that, you shouldn't teach what you teach. It means you have no value judgment.
However, there's plenty to like in this movie. It is a honest, funny and original movie with likeable characters that are still realistic.

Sorry, but as I tell my film students: "There are no boring films, just boring people." Give this film another chance, and this time don't quite halfway through annoying characters grow. You're not giving it a chance.

My mind wandered a lot but I still finished it, I dont think I will ever watch it again though.
Lose the Game!!!!!!!

Its one of my top 5 movies ever made.