Even before award season hit in 2012, Argo was a success. The story of CIA operatives and American hostages posing as a film crew to escape Iran made for an engrossing narrative, and to make things even better, the whole thing was based on a true story. It turned Ben Affleck into a mega-star, and gave people a smart alternative to blockbusters in 2012.
Then again, Argo is a movie; obviously, the creators of the film weren't going to get every little detail right. In film, it's usually better to sacrifice real-world details if it means the story stays interesting and entertaining. Some facts may be glanced over for the sake of entertainment; it's just a part of making a movie based on real events. Argo did a great job of walking that line, and managed to be both fun to watch and (for the most part) factually accurate.
Unless you're talking to the CIA itself, that is.
Of course, the intelligence agency at the center of the incident would probably want to be depicted as accurately as possible. Even so, most people wouldn't watch through a film and create a big list of inconsistencies, but that's exactly what the CIA did on its Twitter account recently:
We love #Argo, @TheAcademy award winning film by @BenAffleck. Today we tell you what’s "reel" vs. "real". pic.twitter.com/QgFC014kUe
— CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Reel #Argo: When the US Embassy is overtaken the 6 US diplomats go right to the Canadian ambassador's residence to live for the 3 months. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Real #Argo: 5 of them went to many different places until they ended up at the homes of the Canadian Ambassador & the Dep. Chief of Mission. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
It's kind of funny that the Central Intelligence Agency took the time to research a movie from 2012. It's possible that the Agency could have more important matters to attend to (maybe), but let's be honest: everyone was absolutely dying for trivia about a two-year-old film.
Reel #Argo: Only one CIA officer goes to Tehran to help exfiltrate the six American diplomats. pic.twitter.com/iFEcrBzlyb — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Real #Argo: Carter gave approval prior to the CIA team flying to Tehran, Iran. The details were approved by policymakers in Ottawa and DC. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Reel #Argo: The CIA officer and the six diplomats go into town to scout locations. pic.twitter.com/2gx2sHjPBO — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Despite the silliness of the whole thing, the factoids are pretty in-depth. The list is great for film fanatics that get lost in looking for trivia, and while a series of tweets may not be the best way to display such a list, it's still a fun read regardless.
Real #Argo: It didn’t happen. An early flight was picked so airline officials would be sleepy & Revolutionary Guards would still be in bed. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
Reel #Argo: The Americans are detained at the airport by security guards & a call is made back to “Studio Six” to verify their identity. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
After so many tweets, it'd be easy to think that the CIA could be criticizing the movie. After all, Argo was based on the CIA, and factual inaccuracies could damage the Agency's reputation. However, it seems that the CIA were big fans of the film:
Real #Argo: All involved in the operation were innovative, brave, & creative. Thank you @BenAffleck for making a film that reflects this. — CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014
What a bunch of sweethearts.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
