Creative License
Ben Affleck playing CIA agent Tony Mendez in 'Argo'
2. To maintain the truthful spine of the story, screenwriter Chris Terrio consulted with Tony Mendez, the maestro of the actual CIA exfiltration operation, who is portrayed by Affleck in the film. Though the filmmakers took creative license with certain elements, the veracity of the overall picture gets a full endorsement from Mendez, and also from Ken Taylor, the heroic Canadian ambassador who worked closely with the US government. "Ben and everyone else involved in the film did a remarkable job. Watching 'Argo' brought me right back to that moment in time. Simply put, they got it right," says Mendez, who wrote a book about the mission after President Clinton declassified the operation in 1997.
[Related: See "Argo" premiere photos and stills]