← All Movies

Glengarry Glen Ross

Four real-estate salesmen (Richard Roma, George Aaronow, Shelley "The Machine" Levene, and Dave Moss) are supplied with leads—the names and phone numbers of prospective investors—and use deceitful and dubious sales tactics. Many of the leads rationed by office manager John Williamson lack either the money or the desire to actually invest in land. The firm sends Blake, one of its top salesmen, to motivate the team. In a torrent of verbal abuse, he gives them notice of termination and tells them that only the top two deal-closers of the month, with one week to go, will keep their jobs and gain access to promising leads for the new and lucrative Glengarry Highlands development.

Levene is a once-successful salesman in a long-running slump and with a daughter in the hospital. Levene tries to persuade Williamson to give him some of the Glengarry leads. Williamson is willing to sell some of the prime leads, but demands cash in advance, which Levene does not have.

Moss and Aaronow complain about the firm's management, and Moss proposes that they steal the Glengarry leads and sell them to a competing agency. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss tries to coerce him, saying that Aaronow is already an accessory before the fact because he knows about the proposed burglary.

Roma, the office's top closer, manipulates a meek, middle-aged man named James Lingk into buying property. Framing the deal as an opportunity rather than a purchase, Roma plays on Lingk's feelings of insecurity.

The next day, when the salesmen arrive at the office, they learn that there has been a burglary and that the Glengarry leads have been stolen. Williamson assures Roma that his contract with Lingk was not stolen, and he and the police question each of the salesmen in private. After his interrogation, Moss has a shouting match with Roma and leaves. Lingk arrives to demand the return of his down payment under the three-day cooling-off period because his wife objects to the deal. Roma tries to stall and confuse Lingk but is interrupted by the police detective, who wants to question him. He lies to Lingk, telling him that the check has not yet been cashed and that there is time to cancel the payment when he returns from a trip on Monday. Williamson, who is unaware of the tactic, contradicts him, causing Lingk to rush out of the office upset. Roma berates Williamson for ruining his sale, unaware that Williamson also lied to him and the check was not cashed.

Levene, proud of a big sale that he made that morning, also berates Williamson for "making something up" without knowing the situation. Williamson realizes that Levene could only have known he lied about the check being cashed if he broke into the office and saw the check on his desk (as he, in practice, always takes the checks immediately to the bank at the end of the night), and threatens to inform the police if he does not return the leads. Levene admits that he sold the leads to a competitor and split the money with Moss. Levene attempts to bribe Williamson with a share of his sales to keep quiet, but Williamson scoffs that Levene has no sales. He already knows Levene's latest buyers are a delusional couple who have no money. Levene realizes he has been set up to fail by being given a worthless lead, and asks Williamson why, to which Williamson replies "because I don't like you." Levene pleads for his ill daughter, but Williamson rebuffs him and leaves to inform the detective.

Roma emerges from questioning. Unaware of the exchange, he compliments Levene on his sale and suggests that they form their own partnership. As Levene gets up to meet with the detective, he looks back wistfully at Roma, who has already returned to his sales work. Aaronow picks up the phone and calls a lead.