American Buffalo (film)

American Buffalo is a 1996 British/American drama film directed by Michael Corrente and starring Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, and Sean Nelson, the only members of the cast. The film is based on David Mamet's 1975 play of the same name.

The film was produced by Gregory Mosher, who was also responsible for directing the theatrical version of American Buffalo.

Plot

Donny runs a junk shop in a city's sparsely populated and decaying neighborhood. Teach, who has no visible means of support, spends many hours each day at the shop, as does Bobby, a young man who is eager to please Donny in any way he can.

Teach comes up with a scheme to rob the home of a man whose safe is said to contain rare coins. Bobby is often sent on errands for food or information. Teach's nerves are already on edge when Bobby suddenly returns to say that a third man involved in that night's robbery can't go through with it because he is in the hospital. Donny distrusts what he is hearing and is unable to locate the man in the hospital, whereupon Teach angrily turns on Bobby.