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"Two days after the political thriller Argo snagged best picture honors at the Oscars, one of the hostages whose experience inspired the film felt the urge to react to the big win on Facebook. \n\"The substance of what I wrote really just came to me this morning,\" Mark Lijek (played by Christopher Denham in Argo) told Mashable. \"I was excited Argo won best picture.\" \nArgo is loosely based on the hostage crisis during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when militants held 52 Americans inside the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Argo details the tale of six of them who escaped and hid in the Canadian ambassador's home. \nLijek (pictured in the black tie above) and his wife, Cora, were two of those who escaped and were rescued by CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) in 1980 at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.\nThirty-three years later, their story helped bring home the film industry's top prize. \n\"It dawned on me that there have been only 85 or so Best Picture winners out of probably tens of thousands of films made over the years, and the biggest adventure of my life was the subject of one of those.\" Earlier Tuesday, Lijek wrote this on Facebook: \"I was thrilled when Argo won, but only now is it really sinking in. Sorry if it sounds like bragging, but it is kind of cool to have the most interesting episode in your life turned into a best picture winner. Sure, the story is dramatized and important people were left out, but all the more reason I am glad I wrote the book and the magazine articles filling in the broader story.\"\nLijek has thoroughly detailed his version of events in a self-published book, The Houseguests: A Memoir of Canadian Courage and CIA Sorcery, as well as on such online publications as Slate (\"I Was Rescued From Iran\").\nLijek says he used the book's Facebook page to react because he wanted his friends to know his intimate thoughts. \nHe has been following the online sentiment around Argo and says he thinks the reaction patterns that previously arose in response to the film will continue even after the Oscar win. \n\"Those who like the film will be thrilled, those who don't will have even more reason to criticize Hollywood for honoring so 'ahistorical' a film,\"  he told Mashable via email.  \"My own view is that even those of us who would have wanted to see more Canada in the film should be pleased by its success.\"\nSEE ALSO: 'The Onion' Apologizes for Vulgar Oscars Tweet to 9-Year-Old Actress\n\n\"The Canadian Caper, as it was long known, was a forgotten footnote in history until Argo revived the story,\" Lijek adds. \"Because of this film we have an opportunity to rediscover the true history of the event, and many people are contributing to that, as well as to enjoy an exceptionally good movie. What's not to like?\"\n\n\nRed Carpet and Winners' Room Photos\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKristen Stewart arrives on crutches\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnne Hathaway\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Oscars fans\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJohn Stamos\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Lawrence\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBen Affleck\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSally Field\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAmanda Seyfried\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGeorge Clooney\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNaomi Watts\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRobert DeNiro\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTommy Lee Jones\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSelma Hayek\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChristoph Waltz\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackstage\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Avengers\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdele \nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJennifer Lawrence\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQuentin Tarantino\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImage by Mashable's Brian Anthony Hernandez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto courtesy of Mark Lijek: One of Six Rescued by Argo Mission Facebook page"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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