In seven minutes, Alec Baldwin gave a monologue remembered as one of the greatest cameos in film history (New Line Cinema).

Every Tuesday, Jeremy Fuster analyzes a critical scene from a popular film. Join him every week as he delves into what exactly makes these critical scenes so memorable and successful.

Every once in a while, a movie comes along with a character that only appears in one scene. But in that one scene, the actor puts forth a performance so breathtaking and memorable it gets its own cult following.

Take Charlie Sheen's cameo in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." In one scene, he charms the pants off of Ferris' sister Jeanie - figuratively but almost literally as well - and helps her overcome her obsession with her brother's ability to get away with everything. We never find out what his name is. He just sits on a couch for a few minutes giving his best James Dean impersonation and making audiences in 2013 laugh when he prophetically tells Jeanie he's in trouble with the police because of "drugs."

There are many other noteworthy one-scene wonders, such as Ned Beatty's diatribe in Network, which I will cover next week. But there is no cameo more famous or parodied than Alec Baldwin's motivational speech from hell in "Glengarry Glen Ross." The film is an adaptation of David Mamet's Tony-winning Broadway play, which depicts four real estate agents and their desperate, underhanded attempts to sell property that no one wants. The film failed at the box office, not even managing to make back its meager $12.5 million budget, but has since become a cult hit because of Mamet's riveting dialogue and the film's all-star cast. Big name actors like Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey got in line for a chance to perform some of the juiciest lines ever put on a script, gladly taking big pay cuts and showing up on days when they were not required to be on set to watch each other ply their craft.

But it's Baldwin's seven minutes of screen time that defines the legacy of 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' not only because of how he slices his way through those seven minutes, but also because his role was created specifically by Mamet for the film. With one announcement delivered with a swift, stabbing cadence, Baldwin changes the direction of the story by giving it an extra sense of urgency that isn't in the play.

"As you all know, first prize is Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody wanna see second prize? Second prize's a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired."

The guy leading the race for that Cadillac, Al Pacino's Ricky Roma, isn't here for this speech. Part of the reason why is because he doesn't need the speech due to his success. He obeys the "Always Be Closing" acronym that his bosses want him to follow at all cost. The other reason is that his ego wouldn't let him take it. He wouldn't sit there let Baldwin make his speech like the others do. He would cuss him out of the building.

The other salesmen, on the other hand, are in trouble. They can't close deals, and the two of them who can't stop their losing streak will be out of a job. Suddenly, everything that happens in the rest of the film makes more sense. Pushed to the brink, the salesmen cope with their situation in different ways, but all of which are pathetic. Alan Arkin, known today for saying the catchphrase "Argo fuck yourself!" with a snarl, just sits in his chair like an old pile of cartilage as Baldwin hisses at him over his shoulder. Ed Harris initially acts like he's too good for Baldwin's rant like Roma would, but ultimately he sits down and shuts up because he knows he hasn't delivered on the sales.

Finally, there's Jack Lemmon's character, Shelley "The Machine" Levene, who tells Baldwin that the leads are weak. "You're weak," retorts Baldwin.

"I can go out there tonight, the materials you got, make myself $15,000! Tonight! In two hours!"

Gosh, he makes it sound so easy.

Except it's not easy, and that's what makes Baldwin's speech such a brilliant addition to the script. In the play, we see the realtors struggle and slither, but the goal of success and wealth remains a nebulous idea. In the film, that goal becomes incarnate through Baldwin and is placed in front of the realtors to mock them. He doesn't even give the realtors his name. All they need to know is that he is successful and they are not.

"FUCK YOU, that's my name! You know why, Mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove an $80,000 BMW. That's my name! And your name is 'You're Wanting'."

"You see this watch? That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that's who I am. And you're nothing."

Baldwin is the embodiment of The American Dream, that once-revered goal of material success that has been savaged by every artistic medium imaginable for more than 50 years now. His speech embodies the belief that American capitalism never fails to reward the hardworking and punish the lazy and incompetent; and while you can probably say that at least some of those realtors fit those two adjectives, there is a glass ceiling between them and Baldwin that they are not allowed to break. 

As it turns out, Levene is right. The leads ARE weak. Contrary to what Baldwin says, the money is not out there just waiting to be taken, and a lot of the people they are told to talk to are indeed just on the lot to get out of the rain. Worst of all, the true path to success, the Glengarry leads that Baldwin dangles in front of their faces, is being guarded by a middle manager who received his position through nepotism, and who sabotages the realtors attempts to sell both out of stupidity and his own personal grudges. 

"Glengarry Glen Ross" is an expletive-stuffed attack on the scum bags of the business world who lie, backstab, and exploit others to get to the top. It's also an attack on the system that encourages such greedy behavior in the name of that maligned American Dream. In the world of real estate, money matters, nothing else. The ends always justify the means. "Get them to sign on the line which is dotted," yells Baldwin. That name on the dotted line? That's your name.

Find other "Remember This Scene?" posts here. Next week: "You have meddled with the forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I WON'T HAVE IT!"

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