Glengarry Glen Ross 1992

ACT I

In a dimly lit Chinese restaurant on a drizzly night in southern Brooklyn, New York City, veteran real estate salesman Sheldon ‘Shelley’ Levene (Jack Lemmon) finds himself stuck in a phone booth, his mind preoccupied with the uncertain fate of his daughter, who’s battling a chronic illness in a nearby hospital. The adjacent phone booth is home to Dave Moss (Ed Harris), another Premiere Properties sales representative, who’s struggling to drum up interest in Rio Rancho Estates. As they take turns venting about their disappointing leads, they retreat to the men’s room to commiserate over their shared frustrations.

Meanwhile, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) effortlessly closes a deal at the bar with a discerning client, a testament to his exceptional sales prowess. When Levene and Moss return to their office, they’re greeted by an unwelcome visitor: Blake (Alec Baldwin), a representative of Mitch and Murray, the company’s proprietors. This hot-tempered and self-absorbed businessman brings a dose of harsh reality to the team, berating them for their lackluster sales performance.

Blake reminds his underperforming colleagues about the ongoing contest, where the top salesperson will win a coveted Cadillac, while the runner-up will receive a set of steak knives that are all but worthless. The stakes are raised when Blake announces a twist: the worst-performing salesman will be unceremoniously fired. Frustrated and demoralized, Levene and Moss point to the subpar quality of their leads as the primary cause of their struggles.

In an attempt to turn things around, Blake presents them with “premium” leads for a new development, Glengarry Leads. These valuable contacts are comprised of serious buyers who not only have the means to purchase the land but also demonstrate a genuine interest in doing so. As Levene and Moss realize the significance of these leads, they’re left wondering how they can possibly hope to secure them.

After Blake departs, office manager John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) distributes old leads to his team, only to reveal that these are the very same names that have already rejected their pitches in the past. The salesmen are forced to confront the bleak reality of their situation: that the keys to their success may lie not with the new Glengarry Leads, but rather with their own ability to adapt and persevere in the face of adversity.

As Levene’s desperation reaches a boiling point, he confronts Williamson about providing him with the superior leads, his emotional state mirroring the turmoil brewing within. He reveals to Williamson that his daughter is hospitalized, struggling with a medical condition that requires constant care, and that they share a dire situation - both lacking health insurance. Levene’s livelihood hangs in the balance, as he fears being terminated if he cannot generate sales. With his dignity at stake, Levene implores Williamson to relinquish some of the coveted Glengarry leads, but the latter refuses. Levene’s pleas are met with silence, followed by a series of increasingly aggressive attempts to persuade Williamson, ultimately culminating in an offer to bribe him. However, Williamson seizes the opportunity to exploit Levene’s vulnerability, counteroffering a deal that includes purchasing the better leads for $50 each and a 20% cut of all future profits. Realizing he cannot afford these terms, Levene is left stuck with subpar leads.

Meanwhile, Dave Moss and his colleague George Aaronow are navigating the treacherous landscape of door-to-door sales, confronted by an endless stream of “deadbeat” leads. During a break, they retreat to a local diner across town, where they commiserate about the unethical behavior of their employer, Williamson, and the merciless nature of their rep, Blake. Back at the Chinese restaurant, Moss proposes a daring plan - stealing all the Glengarry leads and selling them to Jerry Graff, a rival real estate agency, for $7,500. He convinces Aaronow that his involvement is already tacitly implied by virtue of knowing about the proposed heist. However, Aaronow remains reluctant, refusing to participate in the scheme.

As the night wears on, Ricky Roma weaves a web of deceit at the Chinese restaurant bar, effortlessly convincing James Lingk that investing in real estate is not only an opportunity but also a path to financial success and personal fulfillment. Unlike Shelley Levene’s hasty, manipulative approach, Roma takes a more subtle tack, focusing on building trust before presenting his proposal as an “opportunity” rather than a product for purchase. By tapping into Lingk’s deep-seated insecurities and sense of stagnation, Roma expertly crafts a persuasive narrative that seals the deal.

As Roma strolls into the office on the following day, he’s met with a sense of despondency that permeates every corner of the space. The break-in and theft of the coveted Glengarry leads have left an unmistakable pall over the once-bustling environment. Williamson and the authorities waste no time in convening private interrogations with each salesman, scrutinizing their alibis like a hawk. Aaronow and Moss appear to be the prime suspects, their fidgety demeanor betraying their guilt.

Meanwhile, Roma’s usually sunny disposition has given way to a deep sense of injustice as he realizes that his remarkable sales record has earned him no Cadillac or Glengarry leads. The atmosphere is heavy with tension, each salesman seething with resentment as they await their turn to be questioned by the no-nonsense police inspector in Williamson’s office.

A lone beacon of positivity emerges when Levene walks in, his face aglow with a triumphant smile. It transpires that he’s just closed a staggering $82,000 deal from the Nyborgs, a feat he can’t wait to share with Roma. The two coworkers engage in a warm and respectful conversation, their camaraderie a welcome respite from the otherwise toxic environment.

As the day wears on, however, even Levene’s impressive accomplishment is unable to lift the collective mood. Moss exits his interrogation, his anger boiling over as he confronts Roma in an explosive exchange that leaves both men seething. Amidst this backdrop of despair and recrimination, Levene turns to Williamson and demands a share of the Glengarry leads, his arrogance and scorn for the beleaguered broker palpable.

As the relentless cycle of questioning continues, a sudden twist arrives in the form of Lingk, who bursts into Roma’s office to deliver devastating news to his unsuspecting colleague. The reality check comes courtesy of Lingk’s wife, who has instructed her husband to cancel their agreement due to unforeseen financial constraints. This bombshell drops like a ton of bricks as Lingk informs Roma that they have three critical business days before their decision to invest is set in stone.

Roma, scrambling to salvage the deal and save his commission, resorts to deception. He convinces Lingk that the check he wrote the previous night remains uncashed, thereby buying himself time to reason with Lingk’s wife and perhaps reconsider the terms of their agreement. Meanwhile, Levene abets Roma’s scheme by presenting himself as a wealthy investor and old friend of Roma’s, who just happens to be en route to the airport and is dependent on Roma for a ride.

Unbeknownst to Roma and Levene, Williamson plays his own cards, deliberately lying to Lingk about depositing his check. This misstep sparks outrage in Lingk, who storms out of the office, threatening legal action against the trio. Roma’s frustration boils over as he reprimands Williamson for his reckless behavior.

With the tension simmering just below the surface, Roma takes his turn being questioned by the authorities. In a moment of solitude with Williamson, Levene sees fit to publicly mock his colleague, taking great delight in the hefty sale he closed that morning. However, Levene’s giddy pride is short-lived as Williamson turns the tables on him, posing a pointed question: “How do you know I made it up?” The once-timid salesman has suddenly become emboldened, and Roma’s entire operation hangs precariously in the balance.

As Levene’s zeal to discredit Williamson reached a fever pitch, he inadvertently let slip a crucial detail that would have far-reaching consequences: he knew Williamson was lying about taking Lingk’s check to the bank. In reality, it was Williamson who had left the check on his desk, a fact only the office intruder would be privy to. Williamson quickly picked up on Levene’s mistake and seized the opportunity to confront him, pressing Levene to confess that he indeed broke into the office.

Initially, Levene attempted to laugh off the accusations, but eventually, the truth began to unravel, and he was forced to admit his complicity in Moss’ plan to steal Glengarry leads. It transpired that Levene had unwittingly become Moss’ accomplice after Aaronow (of whom Levene seemed unaware) had turned down Moss’ proposal.

As the gravity of his situation sunk in, Levene revealed that the experience had led him to a profound realization: being a salesman was his true calling. However, Williamson remained unmoved, dismissing Levene’s big sale as nothing more than an impressive facade, and informing him that he was finished. The once-zealous salesman now found himself desperate to bargain with Williamson, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Williamson revealed the shocking truth: the buyers for Levene’s $82,000 sale were nothing more than eccentric individuals with no financial credibility. He had no interest in assisting Levene, citing a deep-seated dislike for the man as the sole reason. As Levene’s last shred of hope vanished, he attempted to elicit sympathy by mentioning his daughter’s health, but Williamson remained callous and unmoved.

With his options exhausted, Levene walked into Williamson’s office, defeated. Meanwhile, Roma departed the scene, oblivious to Levene’s guilt, as Williamson prepared to inform the detective about Levene’s involvement in the burglary. As Roma ventured out for lunch, Aaronow returned to his desk, unfazed by the drama that had unfolded around him, and resumed his sales calls with his usual aplomb.