# The story Argo is based on **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248 "2012-10-09T19:49:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/1 "2012-10-09T19:49:10Z")
Could someone tell the story that the new Affleck movie, _Argo_, is based on? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/2 "2012-10-09T19:52:34Z")
From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Argo is a 2012 American political thriller film directed by Ben Affleck based loosely on a true story. The film is based on Tony Mendez’s account of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/3 "2012-10-09T19:58:14Z")
During the Iranian hostage crisis, six Americans escaped the US embassy before it was overrun and hid out in the Canadian ambassador’s house. In order to get them out of Iran, the CIA hatched a ridiculous plot to disguise the six as a Canadian film crew scouting a bad science fiction movie. It worked. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/4 "2012-10-09T20:07:58Z")
The main Wiki article is the [“Canadian Caper”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper). A [longer-format article on the subject](http://www.wired.com/magazine/2007/04/feat_cia/) ran in _Wired_ in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/5 "2012-10-09T21:28:18Z")
Thanks all. Forgot wiki! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/6 "2012-10-09T23:55:12Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > In order to get them out of Iran, the CIA hatched a ridiculous plot to disguise the six as a Canadian film crew scouting a bad science fiction movie. As a fan of _Lord of Light_, I’d like to leave open the hope it would have been a _good_ science fiction movie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/7 "2012-10-10T00:12:14Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/8 "2012-10-10T00:26:36Z")
Am I the only one who thought this would be about the song “Banned From Argo”? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/9 "2012-10-10T01:16:26Z")
The most important thing for you to know about the film is that it is not an accurate depiction of the historic events. As Ken Taylor states in [this article](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1267937--argo-film-gives-former-canadian-ambassador-ken-taylor-chance-to-set-the-record-straight) > [@](#): > > “The movie’s fun, it’s thrilling, it’s pertinent, it’s timely,” he (Taylor) said. “But look, Canada was not merely standing around watching events take place. The CIA was a junior partner.” Fortunately, Ben Affleck and Ken Taylor have met, and there is now a postscript to the film > [@](#): > > The result: a postscript line onscreen at the end of the movie, which Taylor’s friends regarded as an insult both to him and to Canada, has been removed and replaced by a new postscript: “The involvement of the CIA complemented efforts of the Canadian embassy to free the six held in Tehran. To this day the story stands as an enduring model of international co-operation between governments.” Above quotation taken from [this article](http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/1258706--ben-affleck-changes-argo-postscript-for-ken-taylor). Surprisingly, Mr. Taylor has found this sufficient. By all means, research and look into the story, but do not trust the film’s point of view - it is distinctly flawed. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/10 "2012-10-10T01:18:24Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > The most important thing for you to know about the film is that it is not an accurate depiction of the historic events A historically inaccurate movie? Say it ain’t so. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/11 "2012-10-10T03:57:35Z")
Ben Affleck was on _The Daily Show_ tonight. He mentioned Canadians a few times, in a mix of praise and condescension. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/12 "2012-10-10T04:15:42Z")
Next you’ll be saying Ben Affleck didn’t really win the Battle of Britain like I saw him do in _Pearl Harbor_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/13 "2012-10-10T04:17:51Z")
Well, in fairness, he did get his law degree despite being totally blind. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/14 "2012-10-10T04:55:56Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Am I the only one who thought this would be about the song “Banned From Argo”? _We spent a jolly shore leave there for just three days or four But Argo doesn’t want us any more…_ ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/15 "2012-10-10T23:39:35Z")
Interesting - Based solely on the trailers, I was guessing it was a very loose adaptation of “On Wings of Eagles.” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/16 "2012-10-11T00:59:48Z")
Let me be the first to say: \* “God I feel old…”\* The Iranian hostage thing happened when I was in High School, and it dominated the news for over a year (Ted Koppel’s \*\*\*Nightline \*\*\*show started because of it). Though to be fair I recall that the rescue of those six by Canada got almost _ **no** _ press for some reason. Maybe they were afraid that if we gloated too much about it the Iranians would retaliate by killing some Americans and/or Canadians. I also seem to recall that billionaire/looney Ross Perot had something to do with the rescue… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/17 "2012-10-11T01:24:23Z")
Well, there was that 1981 made-for-TV movie _Escape From Iran - The Canadian Caper_. I don’t think I saw it at the time (though I’m old enough to have vague memories of the actual crisis, I guess my first clear memories of a big-news event are from the Reagan assassination attempt), but caught it a few years later. It was a very high-tension but low-key film (entirely unlike how I expect _Argo_ to be), including scenes of the Americans being rehearsed in how to act Canadian when being questioned by Iranian border officials and getting tripped up during practice sessions, including one schmoe who hadn’t noticed the big PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVERNMENT stamp on the bottom of his attache case. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/18 "2012-10-11T01:56:19Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, there was that 1981 made-for-TV movie _Escape From Iran - The Canadian Caper_. I don’t think I saw it at the time (though I’m old enough to have vague memories of the actual crisis, I guess my first clear memories of a big-news event are from the Reagan assassination attempt), but caught it a few years later. It was a very high-tension but low-key film (entirely unlike how I expect _Argo_ to be), including scenes of the Americans being rehearsed in how to act Canadian when being questioned by Iranian border officials and getting tripped up during practice sessions, including one schmoe who hadn’t noticed the big PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVERNMENT stamp on the bottom of his attache case. Yeah, I saw that too, probably in '81 when it first ran. And I remember it being just as you said, very low-key. I also remember the scenes you described, plus a scene where the Canadians are trying to manufacture fake US passports (at their Iranian embassy maybe?) and having a hard time making them look real. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/19 "2012-10-11T17:58:24Z")
I’m assuming that the movie is going to have to tone down just how insanely crazy the plan actually was - “Hey guys, I have an idea - let’s get Jack Fucking Kirby to design this movie, and he’ll do a _theme park_ too! I KNOW!” ---
**Author:** ![Pacific420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Pacific420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pacific420)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248/20 "2012-10-12T10:38:43Z")
I was in the Canadian navy when the hostages were smuggled out of Iran, we pulled into Eureka Ca and couldn’t spend our money. The local folks there, like most americans everywhere, treated us really good. Walking back to the ship my buddy and I came across two USCG chicks who paid for the room and ‘thanked’ us. Eureka, good town [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-story-argo-is-based-on/637248.md?page=2)