Must-Watch Movies About Sales and the Art of the Deal
Looking for some cinematic inspiration or just a good way to spend an evening? Here’s a curated list of movies that delve into the world of sales, negotiation, and the pursuit of success, with a touch of drama, comedy, and even romance.
1. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)
- Director: Neal Brennan
- Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin
Don Ready is a closer, a top-notch salesman who can sell anything. But when he encounters a tough female customer who doesn’t fall for his usual tricks, he begins to suspect that she might be the real deal, the love he’s been searching for his whole life.
2. The Slammin’ Salmon (2009)
- Director: Kevin Heffernan
- Starring: Michael Clarke Duncan, Cobie Smulders, Michael Jai White
Cleon Salmon, a former heavyweight boxing champion, owns a seafood restaurant in Miami. To pay off a debt and save his restaurant, Cleon organizes a contest among his wait staff. The server who earns the most money in one night wins a $10,000 prize, while the loser faces a painful penalty – a beating from the champ himself.
3. Love and Other Drugs (2010)
- Director: Edward Zwick
- Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt
Set against the backdrop of the American pharmaceutical industry in the late 1990s, this film explores the darker side of commercialism and the conflict between profit-driven motives and genuine human connection.
4. Death of a Salesman (1985)
- Director: Volker Schlöndorff
- Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich
Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, is plagued by delusions of grandeur and haunted by his failures. He dreams of becoming a famous and successful man, but his aspirations are constantly thwarted by humiliation, exhaustion, and professional setbacks. Willy pins his hopes on his son, envisioning him as the fulfillment of his own unachieved dreams, but reality proves to be far more complex.
5. In Good Company (2004)
- Director: Paul Weitz
- Starring: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson
Dan Foreman, a 51-year-old advertising executive at Sports America magazine, enjoys a successful career and a happy family life. However, his world is turned upside down when Carter Duryea, a 26-year-old business prodigy, is appointed as his new boss. Dan struggles to accept being managed by someone so young and inexperienced, especially since Carter lacks practical sales management skills.
6. Two for the Money (2005)
- Director: D.J. Caruso
- Starring: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo
Brandon Lang, a college football star, suffers a career-ending knee injury. He discovers an uncanny ability to predict the outcome of football games. Walter Abrams, a shrewd sports investment mogul, recognizes Brandon’s talent and recruits him into his high-stakes world.
7. The Negotiator (1998)
- Director: F. Gary Gray
- Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse
Danny Roman, a skilled hostage negotiator, finds himself framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Desperate to clear his name, he takes hostages of his own, forcing the authorities to listen to his demands. Another top negotiator, Chris Sabian, steps in to resolve the situation, leading to a battle of wits and courage.
8. Jerry Maguire (1996)
- Director: Cameron Crowe
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Jerry Maguire, a successful sports agent, experiences a moral awakening and writes a mission statement advocating for more personal relationships with clients. He’s fired for his views and starts his own agency with only one athlete and a single mother who believes in his vision.
9. Wall Street (2010 Documentary)
- Directors: Li Chengcai, Zhou Ye, Li Yahui
This documentary, produced by CCTV and China Merchants Securities, examines the history of modern finance in the wake of the Wall Street financial crisis. It features interviews with prominent financiers, academics, entrepreneurs, and politicians from around the world.
10. Go Lala Go! (2010)
- Director: Xu Jinglei
- Starring: Xu Jinglei, Han Tongsheng
A female lead in a TV series wants to quit because she hates the character she is playing. The director tries to convince her to stay, but she is determined to leave. They argue about the script, the art of being a person, the confusion of life, and the overriding of dreams by reality.