Glengarry Glen Ross (film)

Glengarry Glen Ross
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames Foley
Screenplay byDavid Mamet
Based onGlengarry Glen Ross
by David Mamet
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJuan Ruiz Anchía
Edited byHoward Smith
Music byJames Newton Howard
Production
company
Zupnik Enterprises
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • October 2, 1992 (1992-10-02)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12.5 million
Box office$10.7 million (North America)

Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 American dark comedy-drama film directed by James Foley and written by David Mamet, based on his 1984 Pulitzer Prize–winning play of the same name. The film depicts two days in the lives of four real-estate salesmen and their increasing desperation when the corporate office sends a motivational trainer with the threat that all but the top two salesmen will be fired within one week.

Like the play, the film is notorious for its use of profanity, leading the cast to refer to the film jokingly as "Death of a Fuckin' Salesman". The title of the film is derived from the names of two of the real-estate developments being peddled by the salesmen: Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms.

The film was critically acclaimed. The world premiere was held at the 49th Venice Film Festival, where Jack Lemmon was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Al Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, the film was a box-office failure for grossing $10.7 million in North America against a $12.5 million budget. It has since become a cult classic.