Glengarry Glen Ross (film)
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| Glengarry Glen Ross | |
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| Directed by | James Foley |
| Produced by | Jerry Tokofsky, Stanley R. Zupnik |
| Written by | David Mamet |
| Starring | Jack Lemmon Al Pacino Ed Harris Alan Arkin Kevin Spacey Alec Baldwin Jonathan Pryce |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | September 30, 1992 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Glengarry Glen Ross is the title of a 1992 movie, based on the 1984 Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning play of the same name by David Mamet, who adapted it into a screenplay for the film. The film shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate real estate agents (Pacino, Lemmon, Harris and Arkin) who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical and/or illegal acts (from lies and flattery to bribery, threats and intimidation to burglary) in order to sell undesirable real estate to unwilling prospective buyers ("leads") while the put upon office manager (Spacey) awaits for them to make their sale after the hardnosed corporate boss (Baldwin) gives marching orders to do their jobs.
The title refers to Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms, two properties mentioned in the movie.
The film, like the play, is notorious for its use of profanity. The word "fuck" is used in the script a total of 138 times during the 100 minute long movie and the word "shit" is used 50 times, leading the cast to jokingly refer to the film as "Death of a Fucking Salesman."
[edit] Critical acclaim
The film is often lauded for its stellar (and almost entirely male, only one character with a speaking part is a woman) ensemble cast, with Jack Lemmon calling it the best one of which he had ever been a part. During filming, members of the cast who weren't required to be on the set certain days would show up anyway to watch the other actors' performances.[citation needed] Al Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of salesman Ricky Roma. This was the same year (1992) in which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Lt. Col. Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman.
[edit] Differences between the film and the play
The most important way in which the film differs from the play is the addition of a famous scene known as Coffee's for closers written by Mamet involving a character named Blake, written specifically for Alec Baldwin. Blake gives the main characters a more immediate motivation for selling real estate —namely that their jobs are on the line.
The scenes that show Shelley going to visit a potential client were added for the film. Some of his phone conversations are added as well.
The film also differs in geographic location. While the play's original references to the Chicago area remain intact throughout, the film credits list it having been filmed "on location" in New York City. As such, there are some scenes which do refer to New York City, such as the opening scene, in which the pay phone Shelly Levene (Jack Lemmon) uses clearly reads "New York". Also, George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) comments to Shelly, "I had a woman in White Plains on the hook ...," an obvious reference to White Plains, New York. The final scene also features a subway car with "Sheepshead Bay" (as in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn) as the destination. The scene where Al Pacino's character arrives at the office clearly shows an NYPD squad car.
David Mamet also altered the original ending of the movie. In the play, Roma flatters Shelley and suggests that the two work together. Then, when Shelley leaves the room, Roma turns on Shelley and reveals that his flattery was only a con to get a share of Shelley's sales. In the movie, this last-second turn is omitted, and Roma's flattery is assumed to be sincere.
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