The storming of the U.S. embassy is the first nominee, an electric eight-minute scene: the dartboard with the Ayatollah picture, the Marine commander going out to reason and being grabbed, and the order not to shoot anyone or start World War III while they burn the classified material.
The opening establishes each of the six, with Tate Donovan leading but an airhead and Scoot as the locker-room guy questioning the coach; small details include a captor taking a woman's glasses.
The frantic destruction of equipment recalls a Grantland one-hour evacuation plan near the end of the ESPN era that was never executed.
Mendez shooting down every rescue plan, such as bicycles 300 miles to the Turkish border with a tire pump, is the next nominee; it is compared to Chuck Kosterman calmly rejecting pitches at Grantland, and the scene is full of that-guy actors like Titus Welliver.
Goodman listening to the plan and the "associate producer at best" exchange lead into meeting Arkin, who is basically playing Alan Arkin with lines like the one about counting the wrinkles on his dog's balls.
Arkin was nominated essentially for playing himself; once Goodman and Arkin arrive, the film gains levity, comedy and sunlit Hollywood scenes.
Arkin buys the script from Richard Kind for $10,000 after the Warren Beatty and unionizing Zulu extras story.
Mendez meeting the Canadian six ("I get people out"), Scoot's "bad cards" speech and the intense bazaar scouting trip are singled out.
Affleck drilling everyone on their cover stories before the airport is praised as hard, tough-love coaching.
The hosts relate that Led Zeppelin allowed When the Levee Breaks but required the needle to sit near the end of the album side, matching the song's real position, so the shot was redone.
The song is called perfect for the night before the escape while things fall apart back home.
The last-minute ticket scramble with Cranston and the airport checks start the last 20 minutes, called the best part of the film, up to the announcement that alcohol can be served after clearing Iranian airspace.
Scoot explaining the movie premise to the angry guard, the call to Arkin and Goodman and the takeoff are listed.
The celebration montage is a favorite and covers the whole spectrum of celebrations, from Cranston's dry crying and Scoot's handshake to Messina's premature celebration and Arkin and Goodman dancing.
Asked for a final pick, one participant chooses the presentation of all the different escape plans.
The other pick is the stretch from the airport to the celebration montage, the part that led to watching the film over and over.

Alan Arkin and John Goodman; Affleck's hair; movie-business in-jokes; the Intelligence Star; the 1979 Iran feel; the heightened escape day; opening credits; soundtrack; Scoot McNairy; 70s thriller vibe and ensembles

In the discussion (16)

Approx. transcript time · 00:43:07Read transcript

Goodman and Arkin end the category; the casting is a 15 out of 10, and once the right people are cast there is little left to do.
The six were cast without star power, chosen to resemble the real people shown in the closing credits, while the stars went to Affleck, Arkin, Goodman and the government roles.
Goodman has one of the strangest filmographies, working constantly across hits and misses, and is best in dramas where he provides comic relief.
Affleck's hair continues to delight.
The movie-business in-jokes, such as the WGA line, hold up.
The Intelligence Star, an award with no ceremony that must be handed back immediately, is a favorite concept and is joked about as a Ringer podcast award for 2021.
Affleck breaks out his Good Will Hunting wistful half-smile when receiving the Intelligence Star.
It is unclear where the Iran scenes were shot, but the film feels like 1979, helped by cutting in news footage.
The decision to make the escape day far more tense holds up, though think pieces say the real departure was easy.
The hosts say Affleck was upfront about taking liberties and that the bazaar confrontation and the plane chase did not happen, and Zero Dark Thirty drew more trouble by presenting itself as closer to documentary.
Movies based on a true story should be watched for the story, not history; even Spotlight changed things, and the hosts say Arkin's character is a merger of real people.
The opening credit sequence and a soundtrack of four bangers, including Dance the Night Away and When the Levee Breaks, are praised despite a song that came out too late.
Song-year accuracy matters only if a film goes all in; still, the anachronistic song made one host think it was 1982.
Scoot McDerry is incredible as the only real foil to Affleck, though the constant doubting invites a shut-up.
His career is judged worse than it should have been; he could have had a Gandolfini-style leading turn, and his name may have hurt him.
The 70s political-thriller vibe and the stacked ensembles, from Titus Wellever and Kyle Chandler to Scoot McNary, Tate Donovan and Cleo Duval, add up to 15 good people.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Affleck's wig-like hair; the Iranian characters; the casting controversy; the invented Lester Siegel; Canada's minimized role; the late song; the multiple endings

In the discussion (11)

Approx. transcript time · 00:55:18Read transcript

Affleck's hair, also listed as aged best, is terrible and presumed to be a wig.
At first viewing one host mistook Scoot for C. Thomas Howell for the first 20 minutes.
Every Iranian character is angry and screaming, a simplistic and not-so-veiled racist view; only the housekeeper shows a conscience.
There was an early controversy over Affleck taking the part because Mendez was, the hosts think, half Mexican; Mendez gave his blessing, and the outcry would be bigger in 2021.
The hosts note Lester Siegel is not a real person.
The hosts report the film has been criticized for minimizing the Canadian embassy's role, falsely showing the New Zealand and British embassies turning Americans away, and exaggerating the escape day; Maclean's said it rewrites history at Canada's expense.
The hosts say Garber's Ken Taylor is supposedly the real hero and that Mendez was in Iran only a day and a half; Affleck is quoted admitting the portrayal of Britain and New Zealand was not totally fair.
The hosts quote Jimmy Carter saying 90% of the contribution was Canadian and that Ken Taylor was the main hero.
The hosts say Carter only briefly pulled the tickets before Mendez reached Iran and that Taylor received a Congressional Gold Medal from Reagan, yet the film gives Garber only a couple of scenes.
The song arriving a year late is called unacceptable in jest.
The Spielberg-style endings drag on through Cranston, the house, the flag hug, the bedside reading and title cards; it should have ended with the plane handshake and celebration montage.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Christopher Denham

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:00:14Read transcript

The field is an all-star team; Victor Garber is ruled out because people know him as Garber from Alias and Sicario.
Bob Gunton is too big after Shawshank.
Rory Cochran, the stoned guy with long hair in Days and Confused, now looks so different he is hard to recognize, but their generation knows him.
Zelko Ivonic is too big from 24, Oz and School Ties.
Christopher Denham, who plays Mark among the six and later a fixer on Billions, wins; his name was only learned through research.
The pick is affirmed; Richard Kind is the only other option but is too well known.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Bryan Cranston

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:28Read transcript

Brian Carriston goes all in on the "call the White House, do your job" phone call, as if he knew the category would exist nine years later.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Alan Arkin and John Goodman

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:03:25Read transcript

Goodman, Arkin and Cranston are ruled eligible at under 15 minutes of screen time, while the Argo Six are in too much of the movie.
Titus Welliver, Kyle Chandler and Philip Baker Hall's uncredited cameo are also eligible.
Ali Saam as the man piecing together the six's photos and the British officer in Turkey are also liked.
Arkin's Oscar nomination raises whether he can qualify; the rule is broken and the award goes to Arkin and Goodman together as a team.

Apex Mountain

Ben Affleck; Scoot McNairy; Iran hostage crisis movies and TV; the other five of the Argo Six; Bryan Cranston

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:54Read transcript

Affleck is a yes: the Oscar, the sympathetic narrative, a Fincher movie next and Batman after Gone Baby Gone and The Town.
Scoot McNary is probably a yes.
Arkin is a no because of Little Miss Sunshine.
Goodman is a no.
Movies or TV shows about the Iran hostage crisis get a yes, with probably no others.
The other five of the Argo Six get a yes.
Tate Donovan's own Apex is floated as Friends before settling on season one of The O.C.
Cranston first gets a no for Breaking Bad, then a yes on the argument that Breaking Bad is surging toward its finale while he establishes himself in movies.
The CIA is joked about as making a comeback after killing JFK, but no explicit Apex yes is given.
Whether this is the Apex for exfils is asked but drifts into Proof of Life and Predator without an answer; exfiltration is defined.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Would work as a Netflix series; movie still preferred

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:17:13Read transcript

It would have been an amazing Netflix show with this cast and more time, though the movie is still preferred.
The embassy takeover would come in episode two or three, like a Homeland season.
A whole episode could cover the politics, from the Kyle Chandler flags line to the Ted Kennedy primary, Carter's re-election and Hamilton Jordan.
A series version is expected within 10 years.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Scoot McNairy's glasses; Alan Arkin's gold Rolls-Royce; the original Argo script; the storyboards

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:56Read transcript

Scoot's glasses are picked.
Arkin's gold Rolls-Royce is the most 70s item, straight out of 1979 TV, though expensive.
A cheaper pick is the original Argo script, or the storyboards framed on a wall.

Who Won the Movie?

Ben Affleck

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:21:26Read transcript

Affleck wins the movie since he directed and starred; asked about an argument for Arkin, the answer stays Affleck.

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Ben Affleck