CAST AND CREW

DIRECTOR
James Foley

WRITING CREDITS
David Mamet

CAST
Jack Lemmon Shelley Levene
Al Pacino Ricky Roma
Ed Harris Dave Moss
Alan Arkin George Aaronow
Kevin Spacey John Williamson
Alec Baldwin Blake
Jonathan Pryce James Lingk
Bruce Altman Mr. Spannel
Jude Ciccolella Detective
Paul Butler Policeman
Lori Tan Chinn Coat Check Girl
Neal Jones Man in Donut Shop
Barry Rossen Assistant Detective

RELATED LINKS
imdb

Times are tough in a Chicago real-estate office; the salesmen (Shelley Levene, Ricky Roma, Dave Moss, and George Aaronow) are given a strong incentive by Blake to succeed in a sales contest. The prizes? First prize is a Cadillac Eldorado, second prize is a set of steak knives, third prize is the sack! There is no room for losers in this dramatically masculine world; only "closers" will get the good sales leads. There is a lot of pressure to succeed, so a robbery is committed which has unforseen consequences for all the characters.

Al pacino's opinions about Jack Lemmon after his death: Jack was the most selfless actor I've ever worked with. He was the most considerate and the most generous. He cared a great deal about what he was doing. He was a complete actor who gave 150 percent. But the remarkable thing about Jack was that he kept growing. So his best work was his latest work. He achieved a simplicity and grace in his work that could only come from such devotion to his acting craft. It was because of Jack's inordinate attention to the role in connection with himself that he achieved a kind of glorious freedom in the end. A freedom that only comes after going through all the trials and ordeals that make it possible to survive in this world as an actor. In the end, he achieved the highest standard of acting: simplicity, utter simplicity and grace. I, for one, will miss looking forward to his next project. I will miss his ceaseless development, because you knew when you were going to see Jack's performance, especially in the later years, it was going to bring with it his consummate knowledge, gravity, depth, and wisdom that all the years of dedication had brought him to. I certainly will miss that. Jack was never an old actor. He was always fresh and new. That's why it's always a bit of a shock when someone like him leaves us. He will always be remembered, of course. But what will be missed is the newness and originality he was bringing to his roles lately. What will be missed is the direction his art was taking.