Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

In director James Foley's (and New Line Cinema's) dramatic crime-mystery, it told about two days in the lives of four desperate, cut-throat, hard-luck NYC real estate agents looking for solid "leads" (names of potential buyer-clients). It revealed the pressure-cooker atmosphere behind the scenes of a Brooklyn branch office, to sell two real-estate developments in Florida (Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms - hence the film's title).

The film with a superb ensemble cast was noted for many rapid-fire, cleverly convoluted, foul-mouthed lines of dialogue. It was adapted from scripter David Mamet's 1983 real estate stage play (about four agents in a Chicago office). Confusingly, the film contained references to both the Chicago and NYC areas, but was filmed in the NY area.

With a budget of 12ドル.5 million, the film was a solid failure, grossing only 10ドル.7 million in revenue. It received a single Academy Award nomination (without a win): Best Supporting Actor for Al Pacino.

Its two taglines were:

• "The hardest thing in life is sell"
• "A Story For Everyone Who Works For a Living"

• in the opening scene, consulting super-salesman Blake (Alec Baldwin) was sent by Mitch & Murray - the corporate real estate owners of NYC's Premiere Properties real estate agency, to deliver a challenging, rousing, motivational, hostile, in-your-face, foul-mouthed ultimatum speech toward the salesmen in their grungy Brooklyn office; he described the monthly sales contest, to close a real estate deal:
• "All of you got, just one week to regain your jobs, starting with tonight. Starting with tonight's sit. Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause we're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, the first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is 'You're fired'. You get the picture? You laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them! You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close s--t, you are s--t. Hit the bricks, pal, and beat it 'cause you are going out!..."
• within a week, only the top two salesmen (of the small sales-force) would receive prizes, while the third one would be fired
• then, the arrogant Blake's advice used the letters (A-I-D-A) and three other letters A-B-C, that he displayed on a blackboard (signifying Always Be Closing):
  • "Because only one thing counts in this life! Get them to sign on the line which is dotted! You hear me, you f--king faggots? (he displayed a blackboard with words) A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing! Always be closing! A-I-D-A. Attention, interest, decision, action. Attention: do I have your attention? Interest: are you interested? I know you are 'cause it's f--k or walk. You close or you hit the bricks! Decision: have you made your decision for Christ?! And Action. A-I-D-A. Get out there! You got the prospects comin' in. You think they came in to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money! Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it?"
• the other real-estate agent characters included:
  • Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), a charismatic, laconic, profanity-spewing, hotshot, leading "closer" salesman (with his raunchy dialogue about a female customer's crumbcake)
  • John Williamson (Kevin Spacey), the iron-fisted, unethical, inept office manager/boss of the salesmen who provided his sales-force with old "leads"
  • Shelley 'the Machine' Levene (Jack Lemmon), a tired, desperate old-timer with a hospitalized and sick daughter
  • Dave Moss (Ed Harris), an embittered agent
• after Blake departed, John Williamson gave out leads to his salesmen, but they complained about the outdated, old and stale lists given to them, rather than being provided with his good 'premium' sales leads (rich clients who were potential buyers) for the Glengarry Highlands project development
• Williamson responded to the criticisms of desperate co-worker Shelley:
  • "Let me tell you something, Shelley. I do what I'm hired to do. You might do the same...I'm hired to watch the leads, to marshal my sales force. I'm given a policy. My job is to do that...Anybody falls below a certain mark, I'm directed. I'm not permitted to give them the premium leads....Do you know what the 'premium' leads cost?"
• Williamson denied any more help when the distraught Shelley begged for better 'premium' leads for the project:
  • "I can not sell s--t!...Just give me some leads that don't come out of a phone book, huh? You give me something hotter than that and I can close it. It's just a streak. I'm gonna turn it around. Hey, I need your help"
• Williamson manipulatively took advantage of Shelley's desperation by offering better leads at a cost, including a cut of his future profits - but Shelley refused
• in a Chinese restaurant booth, Roma gave a long-winded, disjointed, underhanded sales pitch about Glengarry Highlands real estate to a timid, lonely, middle-aged client named James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce), and ultimately convinced him after discussing his philosophy of life, that he should seize the "opportunity" and buy real-estate:
  • "What I'm saying, what is our life? Our life is looking forward or it's looking back. That's it. That's our life. Where's the moment? And what is it we're so afraid of? Loss. What else? The bank closes. We get sick, my wife died on a plane, the stock market collapsed. What if these happen? None of 'em. We worry anyway. Why?...What do ya keep? I mean, you don't keep anything. Security, things, things, you know? It's just, you try to stave off insecurity. You can't do it...Stocks, bonds, objects of art, real estate. What are they? An opportunity. To what? To make money? Perhaps. To lose money? Perhaps. To 'indulge' and to 'learn' about ourselves? Perhaps. So f--king what? What isn't? They're an opportunity. That's all they are. They're an event. A guy comes to you, you make a call, you send in a card. 'I have these properties I would like for you to see.' What does it mean? What do you want it to mean. Do you see what I'm saying? Things happen to you...."
• in his final pitch, Roma told James:
  • "Glad I met you. I'm glad I met you, James. I want to show you something. It may mean something to you, it may not. I don't know. I don't know anymore"
• he took out a small brochure and put it on the table, then opened up the brochure, with the words: 'Make Your Dreams Come True' and then ended his spiel:
  • "What is that? Florida. Glengarry Highlands. Florida. Bulls--t. And maybe that's true, and that's what I said. But look at this"
• in the midst of competitive sales of Glengarry property, there was an office burglary and the "premium" Glengarry leads were stolen (and sold to Jerry Graff in a competing rival agency for "five grand"); due to the surrounding publicity and a police interrogation, Roma's weak real-estate deal with Lingk began to collapse when his client demanded his down-payment back (during his 3-day cooling off period); Lingk was lied to by Roma about how the check was yet to be cashed and he still had time to consider
• although Roma was able to salvage the deal and use several tactics to deceptively persuade Lingk to reconsider, Williamson intervened and contradicted Roma's claims, claiming he had cashed the check (another deceptive lie); Lingk broke the deal and rushed out of the office
• Roma delivered a scornful insulting, verbal and obscene tirade against Williamson for ruining his deal:
  • "You stupid f--kin' c--t. You, Williamson, I'm talkin' to you, s--thead. You just cost me 6,000ドル. 6,000,ドル and one Cadillac. That's right. What are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do about it, asshole? You're f--kin' s--t. Where did you learn your trade, you stupid f--king c--t, you idiot? Who ever told you that you could work with men?...Oh, I'm gonna have your job, s--thead. I'm going downtown. I'm gonna talk to Mitch and Murray. I'm going to Lemkin! I don't care whose nephew you are, who you know, whose d--k you're suckin' on, you're goin' out. I swear to you..."
• in the concluding sequence, the scheming and pitiable Shelley inadvertently and guiltily revealed to Williamson that he had broken into the office (thus, he knew about the uncashed Lingk check); Shelley had stolen the leads and sold them to Graff, and split the money with Moss
• Williamson mercilessly scolded and berated Shelley, who claimed he was back as a better salesman, and offered to bribe him for his silence; Williamson responded that he didn't want to be bribed, and explained that Shelley actually had no sales; his latest sales clients - the Nyborgs - were irresponsible, destitute and elderly deadbeats who had no money; Williamson was determined to cruelly ruin Shelley once and for all, and report his participation in the burglary:
  • "I don't think I want your money. I think you f--ked up my office, and I think you're going away....I'm sorry...Because I don't like you...F--k you!"