Glengarry Glen Ross – My Favorite Movie Scenes
This week on Only Good Movies, I’ll be debuting a new feature called My Favorite Movie Scenes. As you might surmise, it’s a look at some of my favorite moments in cinematic history. You’re welcome to chime in with your own thoughts and opinions, and you can also email me at onlygoodmovies[at]gmail[dot]com to make suggestions on future entries.
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Kicking off the category is a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross, one of my personal favorites and a movie filled to the rim with memorable moments and crisp dialogue (courtesy of David Mamet). Based on a stage play by Mamet, the film follows a brief period in the lives of several salesmen working for a shady real estate company. It’s hard to believe that Glengarry Glen Ross didn’t make a profit at the box office, especially considering that the cast was filled with actors such as Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey and Ed Harris.
Here’s the setup for the scene:
On a rainy night, the salesmen have been called to a meeting ordered by the oft-mentioned heads of the company, Mitch and Murray. None of them want to be there, as they’re currently involved in a sales competition where the winner gets a new Cadillac. The current top salesman, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), doesn’t bother to attend, as he’s across the street at a Chinese restaurant schmoozing a potential client. A BMW is parked in front of the office, belonging to whoever is conducting the meeting.
Now let’s meet the players:
- John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) – The office manager who’s despised by the salesmen.
- Shelley “The Machine” Levine (Jack Lemmon) – An aging salesman with a sick daughter, Shelley is suffering through a dry spell and badly needs money to pay for medical bills.
- Dave Moss (Ed Harris) – A volatile salesman who resents the company and dislikes his co-workers.
- George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) – A salesman who lacks confidence and has trouble closing deals.
- Blake (Alec Baldwin) – Slick salesman sent by Mitch and Murray to motivate the sales force. This part did not appear in the play and was written especially for Baldwin.
Now let’s take a look at the memorable scene from Glengarry Glen Ross…
Blake: Let me have your attention for a moment. ‘Cause you’re talkin’ about what…you’re talkin’ ’bout…bitchin’ about that sale you shot, some son of a bitch don’t want to buy land, somebody don’t want what you’re selling, some broad you’re trying to screw, so forth, let’s talk about something important.
(to Williamson) Are they all here?
John Williamson: All but one.
Blake: Well, I’m going anyway. Let’s talk about something important.
(Blake eyes Shelley Levine as the veteran salesman pours himself a cup of coffee.)
Put…that…coffee…down. Coffee’s for closer’s only.
(Levine gives Blake a look of amazement.)
You think I’m fuckin’ with you? I am not fuckin’ with you.
I’m here from downtown. I’m here from Mitch and Murray. And I’m here on a mission of mercy.
Your name’s Levine?
Shelley Levine: Yeah.
Blake: You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?
Dave Moss (getting up from his desk): I don’t gotta listen to this shit.
Baldwin: You certainly don’t pal, ’cause the good news is you’re fired.
The bad news is you got, all you got, just one week to regain your job, starting with tonight, starting with tonight’s sits.
Oh, have I got your attention now?
Good. ‘Cause we’re adding a little something to this month’s sale contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anybody want to see second prize?
(Blake produces a set of steak knives from his case.)
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 shit, you are shit. Hit the bricks pal and beat it, ’cause you are going out.
Levine: The leads are weak.
Blake: The leads are weak. The fuckin’ leads are weak? You’re weak. I’ve been in this business 15 years…
Moss: What’s your name?
Blake: Fuck you! That’s my name.
You know why mister? Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, and I drove an 80,000 dollar BMW. That’s my name.
(To Levine) And your name is you’re wanting. You can’t play in the man’s game, you can’t close them? Then go home and tell your wife your troubles.
(To the room) Because only one thing counts in this life. Get them to sign on the line which is dotted. You hear me, you fuckin’ faggots?
(Flips the blackboard over. One side reads ABC, while the other reads AIDA.)
ABC. A, Always, B, Be, C, Closing. ALWAYS be closing. Always be closing.
AIDA. Attention. Interest. Decision. Action.
Attention. Do I have your attention?
Interest. Are you interested? I know you are, ’cause it’s fuck or walk. You close or you hit the bricks.
Decision. Have you made your decision for Christ!?
And action. AIDA.
Get out there. You got the prospects coming 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.
(to Levine) They’re sitting out there waiting to give you their money. Are you going to take it? Are you man enough to take it?
(To Moss) You, Moss, what’s the problem, pal?
Moss: You’re such a hero, you’re so rich, how come you’re coming down here and wasting your time with such a bunch of bums?
(Blake sits down opposite Moss, takes off his watch, and places it on the desk.)
Blake: You see this watch? You see this watch?
Moss: Yeah.
Blake: That watch costs more than your car. I made 970,000 dollars last year, how much you make? You see pal, that’s who I am, and you’re nothing.
Nice guy? I don’t give a shit.
Good father? Fuck you, go home and play with your kids.
You want to work here, close.
(Moves behind the silent and nervous-looking George Aaronow.)
You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cock-sucker? You can’t take THIS, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit. If you don’t like it, leave.
(to the whole room) I can go out there tonight, the materials you got, make myself 15,000 dollars. Tonight. In two hours. Can you? Can you?
Go and do likewise. AIDA.
(Blake slams his hand on the podium.)
Get mad you sons-of-bitches! Get mad!
(Blake produces a pair of brass ball from his case and holds them in front of his crotch.)
You know what it takes to sell real-estate? It takes brass balls to sell real estate. Go and do likewise, gents. The money’s out there, you pick it up, it’s yours. You don’t, I got no sympathy for you. You want to go out on those sits tonight and close, close, it’s yours. If not, you’re going to be shining my shoes. And you know what you’ll be saying. Bunch of losers sitting around in a bar: ”Oh yeah, I used to be a salesman. It’s a tough racket.”
(Blake mimics weakly taking a drink. He then produced a stack of pink cards tied with a golden ribbon.)
These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads.
(Blake extends his arms towards the salesmen.)
And to you, they’re gold.
(Blake pulls the cards back.)
And you don’t get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away.
(Hands the leads to Williamson.)
They’re for closers.
I’d wish you good luck, but you wouldn’t know what to do with it if you got it.
(To Moss as he’s putting his watch back on.) And to answer your question, pal: Why am I here? I came here because Mitch and Murray asked me to, they asked me for a favor. I said, “the real favor, follow my advice and fire your fuckin’ ass, because a loser is a loser.”
(Blake goes into office with Williamson.)
[END OF SCENE]
So there you have it–Alec Baldwin at his ball-busting best. I hope you enjoyed this scene from Glengarry Glen Ross, and be sure to join us again in the future for another installment of My Favorite Movie Scenes. In the meantime, you can kill off some brain cells by reading the following:
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 6:42 pm and is filed under Thoughts on Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Albert Maruggi
Alec Baldwin’s greatest 5 minutes of film. Everyone in business must watch this 50 times.