2000, 1 hr 53 min., Rated R for language and some sexuality. Dir: Stephen Frears. Cast: John Cusak (Rob), Iben Hjejle (Laura), Todd Louiso (Dick), Jack Black (Barry), Lisa Bonet (Marie DeSalle), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Charlie), Joan Cusack (Liz), Tim Robbins (Ian), Lili Taylor (Sarah), Joelle Carter (Penny), Natasha Gregson Wagner (Caroline), Sara Gilbert (Anna), Bruce Springsteen (Himself).

Top 5 Things I liked about High Fidelity:

1. The incredibly likeable John Cusak, who becomes even more so with his character's soliloquies in breaking down the fourth wall (talking directly to the audience).

2. The impeccable script.

3. Cameos by big-name stars in this low-budget flick.

4. Flashbacks by the main character, especially those that included styles from the 80s.

5. Top 5 Lists. The lists are used in everyday conversation among Rob and his friends, such as Top 5 First Tracks on an album or Rob's Top 5 Worst Breakups.

Would someone give John Cusak an umbrella, already! If he's going to be out in the rain after being dumped in every movie he makes, he could at least have a poncho or a newspaper or something to keep him dry. But, then again, one always looks more pitiful dripping wet.

In High Fidelity, Cusak plays Rob, a college dropout-cum-music storeowner who has always been unlucky in love. He's a self-described middleweight, not the dumbest person around, but not the smartest, either.

Rob, as in all Cusak movies, is working through a period of his life in which he looks back at past relationships and evaluates where his life is headed. Of course, it all really began with his first girlfriend in middle school who dumped him after three great days of make-out sessions.

"Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable, or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" Rob asks after being dumped, listening to depressing music, something may of us are want to do when in a dour mood.

Rob has serious flaws that he's very aware of ("yeah, I'm a f-ing a-hole"), an attribute makes him more all the more likeable. We know why the girlfriends leave, but still empathize. He never changed as he aged, something that may contribute to his pessimistic outlook on life.

Iben Hjejle (gee, thinks she's Scandinavian?) is Laura, the newly departed girlfriend whom Cusak is pining over to return. I've never seen her before; she's got talent, and is very cute without being drop-dead gorgeous, which is good because it keeps her real rather than wondering how a supermodel would date a loser like Cusak.

Cusak's employees were bookend characters, Dick and Barry. The former is very quiet and unwilling to step into the fray usually created by his boisterous and highly entertaining coworker. While Dick likes to help customers who have questions, Barry will refuse to do so, telling a man to go to the mall if he wants to listen to such drivel as Lionel Ritchie, telling his boss that "he offended me with his terrible taste."

The cameos:

• John's sister, Joan, provides the voice of reason as Rob and Laura's mutual friend, Liz. Joan must have had a blast with this role, able to bust into the store, call her brother a "f-ing a-hole" and get paid for it!

• Tim Robbins is hilarious as Ian Raymond, Laura's new boyfriend. In one scene Rob imagines the exotic and passionate lovemaking that Fabio-haired Ian performs with his lovers, a scene that had me rolling on the floor.

• Catherine Zeta-Jones is No. 3 on the all-time worst breakup list as Charlie, the girl so attractive that she made Cusak that much more insecure to be her lover. Not that I blame him. Zeta-Jones is one of the sexiest women in Hollywood.

• Independent film specialist Lili Taylor is breakup-girl No. 4 as Sarah, the catch on the rebound.

• Lisa Bonet has an insignificant role as singer Marie deSalle, so sexy and passionate that Rob and his gang find a newfound love for the song "Baby I Love Your Way" when Marie sings it.

• The strangest cameo may be that of Bruce Springsteen, who makes an appearance in Rob's bedroom to help justify an excuse for Rob to look up those women who dumped him in past relationships.

A very minor drawback may be that I was fooled into thinking the movie was ending at the 90-minute mark with a conflict resolution. In fact, I almost wish it would have ended since not much else was accomplished in the final 15 minutes or so. But if that is the only disagreement I have with the picture, then I can let it go. So take a trip to the theater and see a fun flick before the flood of summer releases comes out.