Ben Affleck agrees to change ‘Argo’ postscript to better reflect Canada’s involvement in the real events

Ben Affleck has agreed to change the postscript text ending to his latest film Argo to better reflect Canada’s involvement in the real-life rescue of six American hostages from the Iranian embassy in 1979.

According to The Star, Affleck heard that friends of Ken Taylor, the former Canadian ambassador to Iran, were not pleased by the text postscript shown when the film had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. The postscript shown made it appear that Canada and Taylor wrongly took credit for the entire operation at the time, which Taylor’s friends saw as an insult.

The postscript will now read, “The involvement of the CIA complemented efforts of the Canadian embassy to free the six held in Tehran. To this day the story stands as an enduring model of international co-operation between governments,” The Wrap reports.

Argo centers on a CIA agent, played by Affleck, who orchestrated a plan to move six of the hostages to the Canadian embassy in order to take them out of the country. Taylor, now 77, is credited as a hero for the operation, as he risked sheltering the hostages and got the fake passports that helped them leave.

Affleck made the changes after hearing the criticisms of the postscript and flew Taylor and his wife out to LA for a private screening of the film. They spent hours in LA together and Affleck told the Star, “I’m so pleased this had a great happy ending.”

Taylor noted that the filmmakers took some clear liberties with the real story. “I expressed my concern with certain details in the movie,” he told the Star. “In reality, Canada was responsible for the six and the CIA was a junior partner. But I realize this is a movie and you have to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Ben was very gracious and we got along really well. There are a few points I want to address. Now Ben and I both feel free to talk about them.”

Taylor and his wife recorded a commentary track, which will appear on the home video release next year.

Argo hits theaters Oct. 10.