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.
