"Lincoln" Film Award Nominations & Wins

[Liz Rosenthal]

(02-26-2013 08:16 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  A radio talk show host made a comment yesterday that I found interesting. He said that the movie Lincoln-a movie about a time when America "got it right" but beaten for Best Film by Argo-a movie that focuses on a time when America "got it wrong." I haven't seen Argo. I don't have patience at this time in my life for "America bashing" movies. If that what Argo is about- no thanks, I'll pass.

Bill, there was no "America-bashing" in Argo. In fact, it was a real flag-waver. As you may or may not know, the movie was about six of the American embassy employees in Tehran who escaped just as the embassy was overrun by an Iranian mob in late 1979. The six Americans took refuge at the Canadian embassy, where they spent about three months, until they could be sneaked out of Iran. However, Ben Affleck and his screenplay writer, Chris Terrio, exaggerated the U.S./CIA role in getting the six Americans out, and barely gave credit to the Canadians. In reality, it was an operation conceived and executed almost entirely by the Canadians. Also, most of the suspense in the movie was manufactured. It made for an exciting movie, and that's okay, but: 1. Ben Affleck and company were given credit for being "historically accurate," while the Lincoln movie was bashed with nitpicky points. 2. Without all the major fabrications in Argo, you wouldn't have had a movie. It just wouldn't have been that interesting.