Glengarry Glen Ross

The film depicts two days in the lives of four real estate agents, who, supplied with names and phone numbers of potential clients (leads) employ unethical tactics in order to "close" real estate deals. It is made clear from the start that many of the "leads" rationed out by the office manager are poor, the individuals listed lacking either the money, or the desire to actually invest in land. Early in the movie Blake (Alec Baldwin) is sent by Mitch and Murray (the faceless owners of the real estate office in which the main characters work), to motivate them by announcing, in a torrent of verbal abuse, that only the top two sellers will be allowed the more promising "Glengarry" leads, everyone else will be fired. Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), a salesman in a long running slump with a sick daughter knows that he will lose his job soon if he cannot generate sales. He tries to convince office manager John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) to give him some of the "Glengarry" leads. Williamson refuses. Levene tries first to charm Williamson, then to threaten him, and finally to bribe him. Williamson is willing to sell some of the prime leads, but demands cash in advance. Levene cannot come up with the cash and must leave without any good leads to work with.

Dave Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) are complaining about Mitch and Murray. Moss proposes that they strike back at Mitch and Murray by stealing all the Glengarry leads and sell them to a competing real estate agency. Moss's plan would require Aaronow to break into the office, stage a burglary, and steal all the prime leads. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss tries to coerce him, saying that Aaronow is already an accomplice simply because he knows about the proposed robbery. Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), the office's top "closer," delivers a long, disjointed but compelling monologue to a meek, middle-aged man named James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce). Roma does not broach the subject of a real estate deal until he has completely won Lingk over with his speech. Framing it as being "an opportunity" rather than a purchase, Roma plays upon Lingk's feelings of complacency and insecurity. The next day, the salesmen come into work to find that the office has been burglarized and the Glengarry leads have been stolen as well. Williamson and the police question each of the salesmen in private. After his interrogation, Moss leaves in disgust, only after having one explosive last encounter with Roma.

During the cycle of interrogations, Lingk arrives to tell Roma that his wife has told him to cancel the deal. Scrambling to salvage the deal, Roma tries to deceive Lingk by telling him that the check he wrote the night before has yet to be cashed, and that accordingly he has time to reason with his wife and reconsider. All the while, Levene abets Roma by claiming to be a wealthy investor and friend of Roma's who just happens to be on his way to the airport , and is dependant on Roma for a ride. Williamson—unaware of Roma and Levene's stalling tactic—lies to Lingk claiming that he already deposited his check in the bank. Upset, Lingk rushes out of the office, threatening to contact the state's attorney, and Roma berates Williamson for what he has done. Roma then enters Williamson's office to take his turn being interrogated by the police, and Levene, proud of a sale he made that morning, takes the opportunity to mock Williamson in private. In his zeal to emasculate Williamson as Williamson has done to him, Levene inadvertently reveals that he knows Williamson left Lingk's check on his desk and did not make the bank run the previous night; something only the man who broke into the office would know. Williamson catches Levene's slip-up quickly and compels Levene to admit that he broke into the office. Levene eventually breaks down and admits that he and Moss conspired to steal the leads to give to a competitor. Williamson reveals to Levene that the buyers to whom he made the sale early that day are in fact crazy and have no money, and that he has no interest in helping Levene for the simple reason that Williamson dislikes him. The film ends as Levene walks, defeated, into Williamson's office where the police are waiting. Roma walks out of the office for lunch, and Aaronow continues his sales calls as usual.