Where Timeless Movies Meet Relaxing Drinks
Legendary and Modern Classics Along With Hidden Gems, paired with relaxing beverages.
Classic Movies and Cocktails contains information for adults 21+. The site is supported by commissions earned through sales and advertising. We’re enrolled in several programs, including Amazon Associates, among others. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission …
“Always Be Closing” or be crushed and thrown out. Classic Movies and Cocktails contains information for adults 21+. The site is supported by commissions earned through sales and advertising. We’re enrolled in several programs, including Amazon Associates, among others. If you click a link and …
In our next post, we’ll pay tribute to the brave men and women who served in WWII by celebrating the Hidden Gem, A Guy Named Joe. This sweet wartime romance stars Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunn. It’s close to my whole family’s heart because it …
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CHRISTINA STANLEY
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MIKE STEEL
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The latest revival of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Glengarry Glen Ross, features stars Kieran Culkin (Succession), Michael McKean (Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap), and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). Odenkirk is nominated for a Tony for his performance as Shelley Levene. The revival opened for a limited engagement on March 31, 2025 and is scheduled to close on June 28th.
The revival got me thinking about the 1992 movie so I decided to share it with you.
⚠️Content Note: This post includes video clips or language that may not be suitable for younger readers.
Plot Summary: When an office full of New York City real estate salesmen is given the news that the results of the latest sales competition will mean that all but the top two will be fired at the end of the week, desperation takes over. One of them comes up with a drastic solution to stay.
I often recommend this film to friends, clients, and colleagues, and I’m always surprised when someone tells me they haven’t seen it.
Although it’s certainly not an uplifting movie, it’s a powerful one, with many reasons to enjoy it–from the razor-sharp dialogue and tight pacing to the riveting performances by great actors. But its real value goes beyond all that.
The movie challenges us to consider how far we would be willing to go if we were pushed into a corner and felt our economic survival was in jeopardy. And if you’re in marketing or sales, it shows why buyers hate high-pressure salespeople—and why so many buyers avoid “sales conversations” at all costs.
That’s why, as a marketing consultant, I recommend it so often.
We’ve all been pressured by sales reps to make a purchase we don’t want, and those experiences have left us emotionally scarred. We’re afraid we’re going to get into a situation where we feel trapped talking to someone who uses circular logic to trick us into agreeing with them and who then won’t take no for an answer. We’re trying to be polite while they’re trying to push us into something we’re actively resisting.
Salesman Ricky Roma’s smooth-talking approach to a prospect he strikes up a conversation with in a bar is a perfect example of a rep who’s almost like a spider weaving a web gently around his prey. The buyer’s panic after the sale is a perfect example of how people react when they realize they’ve been cornered and somehow agreed to something they really shouldn’t have or wouldn’t have under different circumstances.
Just in case you’re thinking the movie is too extreme and unbelievable, let me share what happened at one of my first jobs after college.
After college, I worked at a temporary staffing agency. I started out as an interviewer—something I loved and was really good at. Then, for some reason, I got promoted to inside sales. That’s when the problems started.
I was expected to promise clients we could send them a qualified temp, even if we had no one available. I was supposed to say whatever it took to get the sale. Well, I just wouldn’t do it. I knew the people calling were often secretaries—women like my mom—who would be on the hook when that temp didn’t show. I wasn’t going to set them up to get in trouble with their boss when no one showed up to do the work.
Unfortunately the office manager’s desk was right next to mine. Every time I hung up the phone, she’d remind me of what I was supposed to do and say. After a week on the job, I was close to getting fired for continuing to refuse to say what I was supposed to.
But then I started getting calls from different people in the same organizations. We’re talking about Blue Cross and other major companies. Word had gotten around inside those businesses that I told the truth. If I said we had someone, we did. If I said we didn’t, then we actually didn’t.
I ended up quitting because I knew I wasn’t cut out for that type of work. But it was the first time I realized that sales should be about building trust, not trickery.
When Glengarry Glen Ross was released in 1992, it was critically acclaimed, particularly for its stellar ensemble cast and David Mamet’s screenplay, which he adapted himself. However, despite the praise, it was a box-office disappointment, grossing only $10.7 million against a $12.5 million budget.
Over time, the film’s become a cult classic and a staple in discussions about great screenwriting and acting. Today, the movie is widely regarded as one of the best adaptations of a stage play, even though it made some notable changes.
Watch critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (legends themselves) share their take on the movie and the performances. The clip here is from their great review show, Sneak Previews:
The most notable difference was the addition of Alec Baldwin’s character, Blake, a “motivational” speaker (quotation marks definitely belong in this case). Mamet added Blake’s brutal speech at the request of New Line Cinema, which wanted a “cinematic explosion” to kickstart the film. The scene is now one of the most iconic moments in the movie, with Baldwin’s monologue full of quotable lines. I think it did a great job of setting the tone for what we were about to see and helped us to understand the underlying mindset of these sales reps and the pressure they’re under. It’s either sell or be fired.
Another change involved cutting a subplot where Roma, the office’s high performer (Al Pacino), manipulates Williams, the office manager (Kevin Spacey) into giving him half of another salesman’s commissions.
Fans of the play felt it softened Roma’s character and diluted the play’s brutal cynicism.
Even though I’ve never seen the play, it sounds like that side story would have just been a distraction. I think leaving it out streamlined the plot.
In a movie full of great talent, I think a few performances stand out. I share them below in order of appearance.
If you’re not familiar with Lemmon’s work, or you’ve only seen him in his legendary comedic performances, including Some Like It Hot, The Odd Couple, or Grumpy Old Men, then you’ve missed out on the full range of one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. (We’ll be celebrating him in a future post since he would have turned 100 in 2025).
His performance communicates the desperation felt by someone terrified he’s losing his edge and at risk of losing his source of income. It also perfectly illustrates how ridiculous it is to pay anyone solely on commission. That sort of compensation model promotes the kind of behavior you see in this film…where people feel pressured to make a sale at any cost because they’re afraid for their survival and that of their family.
In 1992, Baldwin wasn’t a major star, though he had gained recognition from films like Beetlejuice (1988) and The Hunt for Red October (1990). His scene-stealing performance in Glengarry Glen Ross helped solidify his reputation as a great actor and commanding presence on screen. Today, it’s considered one of his best roles, despite being just one scene long.
Jonathan Pryce plays James Lingk, the nervous, manipulated bar patron who somehow agrees to buy a piece of property when all he probably wanted was a relaxing cocktail at the bar. Pryce delivers an incredible performance, perfectly communicating Lingk’s anxiety and desperation as he tries to back out of the deal. His body language, hesitant speech, and visible discomfort make that scene painfully relatable, especially for anyone who’s ever felt buyer’s remorse.
This movie is absolutely a classic. It checks every box. A great story. Sharp writing. Stellar performances. Enduring relevance.
And yet—so many people haven’t seen it.
So yes—it’s a grand slam. That rare film that’s not only a Legendary Classic, but it’s also Modern one and a Hidden Gem.
Beyond being a great movie with great performances, Glengarry Glen Ross is a classic because of its influence on film, television, and pop culture.
Watch Alec Baldwin make fun of Blake’s speech on Saturday Night Live when he shows up at Santa’s Workshop as a motivational speaker to get the Elves to work harder.
Warning: Some plot points are mentioned below.
You can watch this movie multiple times, and peel back another layer to the story, the performances, and the messages in them.
Ethical dilemmas are a huge part of Glengarry Glen Ross, and the film forces you to consider just how far people will go when backed into a corner with their economic survival on the line. But the desperation of these salesmen isn’t just about money—it’s about identity, survival, and self-worth.
Beyond the ethical struggles, there are a few other layers of subtext that make Glengarry Glen Ross worth a watch and demonstrate why it continues to resonate.
As a former HR director, I think this movie should be required viewing in organizational development courses.
The film is a commentary on the cutthroat culture that can develop out of a compensation system that rewards people for getting someone to buy, regardless of whether or not it’s a good decision for the buyer. It shows how the workplace’s culture—actually an entire profession– can take a team and turn them against each other. The sales contest—where only the top two performers keep their jobs—is a brutal metaphor for the “survival of the fittest” mentality that can operate in sales.
The film’s cast is completely men, and much of its tension comes from ego, dominance, and status. Each salesman is fighting, not just for survival but for respect. Whether it’s Levene trying to reclaim his former glory, Roma asserting his alpha status, or Moss plotting to take control. The toxic competitiveness reflects a world where success equals masculinity, falling short of a goal is seen as failure, which is seen as weakness.
So if you’ve ever wondered what’s meant by “toxic masculinity”, this film is an hour-and-40-minute-long demonstration of it.
Sales, at its best, is about solving a problem The customer has a problem and the seller has a solution to the problem. At its worst, sales is about manipulation, and the film explores how easily truth can be bent to close a deal. Roma’s smooth-talking seduction of Lingk is a masterclass in persuasive deception. It illustrates why sales as a profession and an organizational function must change given modern buyers’ access to information. Research is showing that most people want to make their purchases using information they perceive as unbiased, combined with recommendations and feedback from those they see as peers rather than through meetings and presentations with sales reps.
One of the most haunting elements of Glengarry Glen Ross is the palpable fear of losing one’s livelihood—a feeling that resonates deeply in today’s uncertain job market and economic instability. The desperation we see in Shelley Levene is something many people still experience. The film reminds us how economic pressures can force people to cross ethical lines, making survival an all-consuming priority.
The film’s legacy isn’t just about incredible performances—it’s a cautionary tale that continues to hold a mirror to corporate culture, human desperation, and toxic masculinity. Whether in sales, finance, or politics, Glengarry Glen Ross reminds us of the cost of survival in a ruthless world.
Screenplay: Adapted by David Mamet
Source Material: Mamet’s 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Mamet based the script for the play on his experience in a seedy Chicago real estate office in the late 1960s/early 1970s while he was an out-of-work actor. David Mamet’s Real-Life Inspiration – Mamet based the original play on his own experience working in a real estate office in the 1970s, when he was a struggling playwright. He was the office manager who handed out sales leads and handled paperwork.
Ricky Roma, the top sales rep in the office – Al Pacino (nominated for two Oscars in 1993, for Glengarry Glen Ross and Scent of a Woman. Won for the latter.)
Sheldon “Shelley” Levene, sales rep – Jack Lemmon (nominated for 6 Oscars, won 2)
George Aaronow, sales rep – Alan Arkin (2-time Oscar winner)
Dave Moss, sales rep – Ed Harris (Nominated for 4 Oscars)
John Williamson, the office manager – Kevin Spacey (2-time Oscar winner)
James Lingk, Ricky Roma’s buyer – Jonathan Pryce (Oscar nominated in 2020, 2-time Tony award winner)
Blake the “motivational” speaker – Alec Baldwin (nominated for an Oscar in 2004)
Glengarry Glen Ross is timeless because it taps into somethings that are universal: the cutthroat nature of sales, human desperation, and the art of manipulation. It’s a film that still resonates, especially in an era where buyers are more informed and skeptical than ever and employees continue to work in organizations that reward the wrong behavior.
You can watch the film through most major streaming services, some free and some have a rental fee. Free sites (as of this writing) include:
If you have to own it or want to read or study the play, this page on Amazon (affiliate link) has assorted resources. You can also watch it or buy the DVD.
There are a few drinking scenes in this movie, so it screams for a drink pairing. Remember though, we’re not encouraging you to start drinking if you don’t already (check out the alcohol-free mocktail below), and of course if you do indulge, please drink responsibly–don’t drink and drive and don’t let your guests drink and drive either. If you’re pregnant or may be pregnant, remember alcohol can harm your baby so use good judgment.
That being said…our cocktail pairing is bold, brooding, and classic. Just like the film.
Before you start mixing your cocktail, here’s a quick look at the key tools and ingredients you’ll need. Exact measurements are on the recipe card below.
🧰 Equipment
🍸 Key Ingredients: You need the following for the cocktail:
And to garnish your drink (nice but not crucial:
If you want to make sure you don’t agree to buying swamp land in Florida, this mocktail is a great choice. It’s tart, fresh, and intense–just like the dialogue in this movie.
🧰 Equipment:
🥤 For the Drink:
For the Garnish:
Decades after its release, Glengarry Glen Ross is still a must-watch movie. Not because it’s inspiring or aspirational…but because it’s a cautionary tale. It shows how toxic workplaces and compensation structures can lead to cutthroat behavior.
I think it speaks to why buyers continue to look to the Internet for neutral information, and why we all put more trust in recommendations made by total strangers than we do in standard advertising and chest-thumping marketing materials.
I think it’s also an example of why commission-only compensation plans are a complete mistake. They aren’t good for employees, nor are they good for buyers.
But we can raise a glass to the great script, legendary performances, and the claustrophobic spaces that trap its characters in desperation.
That’s a wrap! See you next time.