🏢 GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS 💼
This week in Books ‘n Beer, we discussed Glengarry Glen Ross, both the play and the 1992 movie. Honestly, it is fantastic! I give it five out of five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and two thumbs up! 👍👍
What Is Glengarry Glen Ross About?
David Mamet wrote Glengarry Glen Ross in 1983. The play follows four real estate salesmen in Chicago who work for a company called Premier Properties. They sell land, and they live on commission. In other words, if they do not sell, they do not get paid. 💸
Next, the company gives them “leads,” which are names and phone numbers of possible buyers. The best leads are called Glengarry leads. However, only the top salesman gets them. 🏆
The Setting and the Story
The story takes place over two days in two locations: a Chinese restaurant 🥡 and the office 🏢. The men are desperate. Because of this, they lie, they cheat, and they plot against each other. 😰
Overall, the play is about competition, betrayal, and what men will do to survive. It is brutal, it is funny, and it is uncomfortable. Above all, it makes you think about what people do when their backs are against the wall. 🔥
Why People Get This Play Wrong
Perhaps the most interesting thing I found was how often people make errors when they summarize and analyze this play and movie. For example, they get confused about what IS in the play and the movie. Also, they get confused about what is NOT in them.
Moreover, people LOVE to criticize the famous (movie) scene with Alec Baldwin as Blake (below). Unfortunately, they judge it without context, and their assumptions are way off. This makes me laugh, and sometimes it annoys me. 😄
Final Verdict
Either way, Glengarry Glen Ross is a big winner. Plus, it is a great way to study the deeper meanings and nuances of spoken English. 🗣️ Also, I love anything that is both a serious drama and a comedy, and this story is both! 🎭
Notice that I ran AI analyses on ‘The Play’, ‘The Movie’ and ‘The Differences’ (Differences between the play and the movie.)
The most famous scene in the movie is NOT in the play. It was added to the movie by the playwright himself, David Mamet!: