Ben Affleck’s Argo was a runaway hit in 2012. His highly anticipated follow-up to The Town, it finally won Affleck the respect from his peers that he always deserved, with it earning a Best Picture Oscar, despite the man being shut out as director in a controversial move. Audiences and critics alike raved about the movie, but it wasn’t without controversy. Some involved with the original “Canadian Caper” that the film was based on slammed it for various inaccuracies. However, these were largely dismissed as the film set out to be entertainment rather than a documentary, which is fair enough.
In this episode of WTF Really Happened to this Movie, we dig into the true story behind Argo, including the truth behind the CIA operative Affleck played, Tony Mendez, who, as the film depicts, cooked up a scheme where he pretended to be scouting locations for a sci-fi pic to rescue hostages in the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981. We dig into the Canadian and American roles in the caper, as well as the actions of diplomat Ken Taylor. He played a small part in the film but was credited by many (including then-President Jimmy Carter) as the real hero behind the operation.
This episode of WTF Really Happened to this Movie is written by Jake Dee, narrated by Steve Seigh and edited by Paul Cooper. Let us know in the comments whether or not you think Argo’s inaccuracies are a serious issue or if this is just a regular Hollywood occurrence in the pursuit of entertainment.