Factual error: During the protests in the opening scene protesters are chanting "ubij ga", meaning "kill him" but in Serbo-Croatian or Bosnian language, definitely not in any Iranian language. (00:02:45)
Factual error: The embassy takeover was November 3rd. A scene in Washington DC described as 69 days later showed Tony Mendez driving around town with yellow/fall like leaves on the trees, something that would not have been true in the middle of January. A similar scene at the end of the movie has Tony Mendez approaching his house in Virginia and a very fall like scene is shown. (00:13:45 - 01:49:00)
Factual error: In the beginning of the film, when Agent Mendez is called to CIA Headquarters, as he passes the secretary's desk, the outgoing letter propped against her word processor has two postage stamps affixed (2-cent Navajo necklace & 37-cent US Flag) which were first issued and then reissued by the US Postal Service beginning 2003-04, 23+ years after the hostage event in 1980. (00:14:10)
Continuity mistake: There is a scene after Tony came up with the idea for the fake movie and presented it to the CIA, where he is looking at papers under a magnifying glass. Tony is holding his cigarette in his left hand under the magnifying glass. The very next shot shows his face, and he suddenly has the cigarette in his mouth. Which he then removes with his right hand. The next shot shows it in his left hand again. (00:25:10)
Factual error: During the first movie lot scene, John Goodman walks past a 1990's Ez-Go golf cart. Another is seen in the background. (00:25:55)
Factual error: The glasses, which John Goodman is wearing throughout this movie are called Ray Ban Clubmaster. They premiered in 1986, but the movie is set in 1980. (00:26:00)
Factual error: The establishing shot of Mendez's trip to California in January 1980 shows the Hollywood sign in a state of severe disrepair as it appeared in the 1970s. However, the sign was replaced in 1978, so it should appear more pristine, like it does today. (00:26:35)
Factual error: When Ben Affleck and John Goodman are eating on the studio lot, they are drinking from Solo cups with the Jazz design on them, seen in many modern cafeterias. This design was not available in 1979/80. (00:28:20)
Continuity mistake: When Mendez and the other two are reviewing possible scripts to choose, Mendez walks into the home, shuffles through scripts and finds Argo. When he goes to give the script to the other guys the script is missing its black cover and back cover. It is a plain white script, obviously not the same as the original one he picked up off the desk. (00:32:30)
Factual error: In the scene where Tony Mendez finds the Argo screenplay - while browsing into piles of other screenplays at Siegel's house - he handles a screenplay called "PASSIONS REQUIEM" by Brian Cowden that is dated "09-21-2009" - this date is visible/printed in the cover. (00:32:30)
Continuity mistake: As the actors all gather around the table to begin reading the Argo script aloud to the media, we see a two shot as the C-3PO character takes a seat at the table. In the next shot (a wide shot), we see the C-3PO character standing in the background, preparing to take his seat. (00:39:55)
Factual error: At the press conference for the bogus movie Argo the actor dressed as a C3P0-knockoff robot has blue-white LEDs for eyes in his costume - which were not available until well into the 1990s. (00:41:00)
Continuity mistake: When Ben Affleck is writing a postcard to his son, he writes "love you Buth. So" before moving to the next line. In the next shot "So" is already on the next line, followed by "much". (00:45:26)
Factual error: CIA agent Mendez takes-off from Washington to Tehran, apparently via London because he boarded a British Airways flight, on a twin engine aircraft. Twin engine aircraft flights across the Atlantic were just being introduced by TWA around 1980 and weren't flown by BA until years later, if at all. Also, the BA Boeing 747 depicted had tail colors that were not introduced by the airline until the early 2000s. (00:46:35)
Continuity mistake: When the State Department approves the exfiltration, Ben Affleck is dropped at Dulles Airport (it has a distinctive swooping roof), but after he boards, the plane is seen taking off from Reagan National airport. The evidence is the fact that you see a bridge (the Woodrow Wilson bridge, which was rebuilt in 2006 and can be seen in its current form) in the background. (00:46:35)
Factual error: Error in the Istanbul scene. Ben Affleck is shown entering what looks like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. We are shown the outside and the courtyard of the Blue Mosque with its distinct blue rooftops. When Ben Affleck is meeting another dude inside, they are inside the building which now serves as a museum and which is known as "Hagia Sophia." (00:48:40)
Continuity mistake: Ben Affleck gets into a 280s Mercedes driven by the Canadian Ambassador. The front screen wipers on the car are original silver chrome style and fit the screen. When they arrive at his house the wipers have now changed to much shorter modern style wipers, are black, and are the very latest frameless style first introduced in the early 2000's by Bosch. (00:54:04)
Factual error: They play a track "When the Levee Breaks" from a Led Zeppelin album. The hand shows the needle being placed at the next to last track on the album. However, "When the Levee breaks" is the last track on Led Zeppelin IV's second side. (01:18:30)
Factual error: The Canadian military policeman (Sgt. Claude Gauthier - based on a real person) depicted as the house guests leave Ken Taylor's residence, and subsequently shown breaking up communication equipment has several errors in depiction. He is shown wearing combat uniform while on diplomatic duty (although perhaps the situation excuses this). He has service dress sergeant's chevrons sewn on the arm of his combat uniform instead of combat uniform rank. He is wearing a military police red beret, but at that time Canadian military police wore green berets. Also, having enough years of service to attain the rank of sergeant, he would have known how to form his beret properly, rather than having it look like a pizza. The slip ons worn on his shoulder epaulets are way too long, and are not like any Canadian Armed Forces slip ons for any uniform. They are definitely not Canadian combat uniform slip ons. The chest pockets on the combat shirt are sewn flat, whereas in reality the chest pockets had sides (they stuck out from the shirt) as they were designed to hold ammunition magazines for the FNC1 rifle. The buttons on the chest pockets are small, like the ones running down the front of the shirt - the pocket buttons should be much larger in diameter than the shirt front buttons, His long hair and sideburns would not have been permitted under the dress and deportment regulations of the Canadian Forces, and as a Sergeant he should have known better. (01:23:45)
Factual error: The interior shots of the Swissair 747 cockpit show a mockup. The window frames as shown are very wide and thick, but the real ones are much thinner. (01:39:55)
Answer: A film crew is more credible than a group of tourists being involved in this type of activity. Tourists' behavior would be more limited and subject to being noticed by authorities if they acted in a unusual manner. A film crew would have access to more out-of-the-way locations, and if they acted suspiciously, could pass it off as it being part of making a movie.
raywest