Ex-Canada ambassador slighted by Affleck's "Argo"
Ex-Canada ambassador slighted by Affleck's "Argo"
Photo caption: Former Canadian ambassador to Iran Kenneth Taylor, right, upon receiving the Congressional Gold Medal from U.S. president Ronald Reagan in 1981.
By ROB GILLIES | Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) The Canadian former ambassador to Iran who protected Americans at great personal risk during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis says it will reflect poorly on Ben Affleck if he doesn't say a few words about Canada's role if the director's film "Argo" wins the Oscar for best picture Sunday.
But Ken Taylor who said he feels slighted by the movie because it makes Canada look like a meek observer to CIA heroics in the rescue of six U.S. citizens caught in the crisis is not expecting it.
"I would hope he would. If he doesn't than it's a further reflection," Taylor said. "But given the events of the last while I'm not necessarily anticipating anything."
Taylor kept the Americans hidden at the embassy in Tehran and facilitated their escape by getting fake passports and plane tickets for them. He became a hero in Canada and the United States after. The role he played in helping the Americans to freedom was minimized in the film.
"In general it makes it seem like the Canadians were just along for the ride. The Canadians were brave. Period," Taylor said.
Read the whole article:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/ex-canada-ambassador-slighted-afflecks-argo-060757916.html
This is how America reacted at the time:
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I guess it's typical of Hollywood to rewrite history to show Americans are better than anyone else. Here is what ex-President Jimmy Carter had to say about it:
"Taylor noted that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter appeared on CNN on Thursday night and said "90 percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian," but the film "gives almost full credit to the American CIA."
Carter also called "Argo" a complete distortion of what happened when he accepted an honorary degree from Queen's University in Canada in November.
"I saw the movie Argo recently and I was taken aback by its distortion of what happened because almost everything that was heroic, or courageous or innovative was done by Canada and not the United States," Carter said.
Here is part of the speech President Reagan made on presenting the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor:
"Four days after the storming of the American Embassy, Ambassador Taylor received a call from five Americans who had escaped from the Embassy when it was overrun. They were hiding, but they were afraid that they'd soon be discovered and captured. Ambassador Taylor immediately recommended to his government in Ottawa that Americans be given shelter. Without any hesitation, the Canadian Government granted the permission. Two days later, the Americans were taken to Ambassador Taylor's residence and that of another Canadian Embassy family, the John Sheardowns. Two weeks later, another American joined his five compatriots. For 79 days, they lived there pretending to be visitors. I understand they're the best-read and the most skilled Scrabble players in all of North America.
There were several tense moments in the weeks that followed. At one point, an article was imminent in a Montreal paper which would have disclosed the story of the sheltered Americans. In an admirable display of responsibility, the journalist who had written the article agreed to withdraw it from publication. However, from this article, and more immediately from an anonymous phone call to the Taylor's residence asking to speak to two of the escapees, Ambassador Taylor knew that the chances of his guests being discovered were high.
At this point, the Canadian Government in Ottawa and the Embassy began the ingenious preparations for an escape. The Canadian Government agreed to issue fictitious passports to the Americans. The Canadian Embassy staff began making flights in and out of Tehran to establish a travel pattern and to learn airport procedures.
Finally, on January 28th, 1980, the Americans packed the bags that were given them by their Canadian hosts with the clothes also given to them. Using their Canadian passports, they flew out of the country. Ambassador Taylor and three others of his staff saw them off and then left themselves. Even this brief outline of those 79 days highlights what a team effort it was.
The Canadian Department of External Affairs in Ottawa and the Canadian Cabinet responded with speed and decisiveness to help an ally."
So typically American to take credit for something they did not do. MSN Entertainment announced "Argo's" win in these words: "The true story of the C.I.A.'s heroic efforts to extricate a group of U.S. diplomats from revolutionary Iran nabbed the evening's biggest prize"
"The true story of the C.I.A.'s heroic efforts..."??????? BULLSHIT!!!!!!
What a crock of shit. Read the article above. Even Jimmy Carter announced on CNN that 90% of the rescue effort was Canada's doing, but the movie's plot suggests that Canada just went along for the ride.
From the article above: The Canadian former ambassador to Iran who protected Americans at great personal risk during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis says it will reflect poorly on Ben Affleck if he doesn't say a few words about Canada's role if the director's film "Argo" wins the Oscar for best picture Sunday.
Guess what? Affleck DID mention Canada in his speech. All he said was "Thank you Canada" and that was it. Well Ben Affleck, I say you're a perfect asshole.
IT IS A MOVIE "BASED" on what happened! We can always get all the video that was used for the research and wathc that as well as the movie. I'm curious, has any of y'all ever seen any movei 100% true to history! Oh yea....Titanic! Ship hit iceburg and sank!
A la Jake's (Jack Nicholson) detective friend in Chinatown, "Forget it Buzz, its Hollywood."
New Zealand is also miffed at their diplomats treatment in the movie Argo. IMO their Prime Minister John Key put it in proper perspective.