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May 7, 2024 · John Brennan, American intelligence officer who served as director (2013–17) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He was the first individual to rise through the agency’s ranks to become its director since Robert M. Gates did so in the early 1990s. Learn more about Brennan’s life and career.
- Overview
- Production notes and credits
- Cast
- Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)
Argo, American political thriller, released in 2012, that was based on events that took place during the 1979–81 Iran hostage crisis. It centres on several U.S. embassy workers who escaped the hostage takers, took refuge with Canadian diplomats, and were able to escape the country disguised as a Canadian film crew. The movie, which wove archival footage in with tense interior shots and scenes of a simmering Iran, won critical plaudits and the Academy Award for best picture.
The movie begins with a brief narration of the events leading to the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and the following Iranian Revolution and opens on the scene of the U.S. embassy in Tehran surrounded by militant protesters. Inside, staffers are frantically shredding and burning documents. In the Office of Visas, the only building in the compound with an exit to the street, the diplomat Bob Anders (played by Tate Donovan) gathers the other employees—Mark Lijek (Christopher Denham) and his wife Cora (Clea DuVall), Joe Stafford (Scoot McNairy) and his wife Kathy (Kerry Bishé), and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane)—and they slip out to the street. They are turned away by the British embassy, but the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), takes them in. In Washington, D.C., Hamilton Jordan (Kyle Chandler), the president’s chief of staff, is briefed on the situation. The State Department looks for ways to extract the Americans. Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) of the CIA calls in Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a specialist in creating false identities in support of espionage operations. Mendez shoots down every idea suggested to him for extracting the six houseguests of the Canadian ambassador but later has the idea of disguising them as a Canadian film crew that is in Iran for the purpose of scouting movie locations. Mendez and O’Donnell contact John Chambers (John Goodman), a Hollywood makeup artist who has worked with the CIA previously. Chambers enlists producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), who finds and then options a script for a sci-fi film called Argo and issues news releases about the coming movie. Mendez travels to the Middle East, disguised as a producer for the film, and meets with the six Americans to explain the plan and give them false identities as Canadian filmmakers. Although the Americans are dubious and suspicious, they go along with the plan, including taking a tour of the city led by an Iranian cultural official. Mendez and the Americans surmount several crises that threaten to derail the escape and manage to get onto a Swissair passenger jet and fly to safety.
Britannica Quiz
Best Picture Movie Quote Quiz
•Studios: Warner Brothers, GK Films, and Smokehouse Pictures
•Director: Ben Affleck
•Writer: Chris Terrio (screenplay)
•Music: Alexandre Desplat
•Ben Affleck (Tony Mendez)
•Bryan Cranston (Jack O’Donnell)
•John Goodman (John Chambers)
•Alan Arkin (Lester Siegel)
•Victor Garber (Ken Taylor)
•Tate Donovan (Bob Anders)
•Picture*
•Supporting actor (Alan Arkin)
•Editing*
•Sound editing
•Sound mixing
•Writing*
- Pat Bauer
People also ask
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Jan 14, 2013 · BBC World Service. Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by ...
Oct 4, 2023 · Yes, Argo is based on the true story of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. 2. Who directed the movie Argo? Ben Affleck directed Argo and also portrayed the lead character, Tony Mendez. 3. Did Argo win any awards? Yes, Argo won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2013. 4. How accurate is Argo to the real events?
Feb 25, 2013 · Feb 24, 2013 9:20pm PT. ‘Argo’ Wins Best Picture at Oscars. 'Life of Pi' tops in total Oscars with four, including best director (Ang Lee) By Jon Weisman. This time, the “ Argo ” story in Variety...
Oct 6, 2020 · John Brennan says he did not object as forcefully as he should have and that he considers that his most egregious failure. JOHN BRENNAN: I wasn't in the chain of command at the time. I was the ...
Nevertheless, Brennan used transactional leadership, coupled with trust, to ensure his effort would succeed. For example, a panel group recommended in December 2014 that Brennan start with a “pilot project” to implement a “Mission-Center” approach, but they did not want to toss out the current organizational chart.4 He then used
