Continuity mistake: In the exterior front shots of Elliott's house there are some significant changes to the landscape in different shots. For instance, the two lampposts at the bottom of the driveway change to an entirely different style in some shots, and the huge garden boulders repeatedly vanish and reappear. Also, note when Michael takes off on Elliott's bike to go search for ET, the in-ground lamppost that should be beside the mailbox has vanished, but it reappears when all the government agents are setting things up outside the house.
Plot hole: Patrick Redfern needs someone to be in the boat with him to corroborate his and his wife's deception and be his alibi. That is whole point of his wife lying on beach - he gets this when taking Myra for a ride - but it was portrayed as a random ride she got, he did not intend or plan giving her a ride, he did not see her loitering near the boat, or even in view of him untying the boat. Even if that was intention in the story for him to be seen ready to cast off, the movie viewers did not see her viewing him, only her appearing just before he was set to cast off. Without someone with him the whole deception would not work, he would have no alibi, he could have killed Arlena unseen.
Factual error: In World War 2 London, Pink is shown playing with an aeroplane model - an Avro York. The earliest available plastic model kit of this aircraft was produced in 1967. Inaccurate model aside, it begs the question of what a kid of Pink's age would be doing with a plastic model kit during World War 2 anyway.
Factual error: I work for a television channel in 'daytime serial' production and I can assure you that no actor is going to secure a recurring speaking role in a soap opera unless a comprehensive insurance policy has been secured. (This applies to feature films, too.) This will inevitably involve a medical examination. I'm afraid Mr Dorsey's plans are going to become dreadfully unstuck the minute he drops his y-fronts in the doctor's surgery. (No, he can't find a compliant or bribeable doctor - the insurance company will always use their own people.).
Continuity mistake: When the twins are singing about Brad for the talent show, and Michael was playing the piano (you have to listen and watch), his hands are suppose to go across the keys but he is still doing the fake up-and-down-hand-move.
Continuity mistake: In one scene, Nick Nolte is driving Eddie Murphy around in a convertible. First you see Murphy in handcuffs, then no cuffs, he's got one arm on the back of the seat, and then back with the handcuffs on.
Continuity mistake: Near the end after the mob goes over the cliff and Jim is chasing the horses through a snow patch, another rider on a light colored horse can be seen on the right. (01:36:00)
Continuity mistake: When Brad Hamilton is pouring the coffee in the machine at the Mi-T-Mart, there is a clock on the wall next to the battery display, but when the guy comes in to rob the place, the clock is gone and there is a Hostess Fruit Pie poster there now. (01:23:00)
Continuity mistake: Towards the end of the movie, Richard Gere's friend hangs himself in the shower. Notice how many times his friend goes from nude to wearing underwear.
Revealing mistake: When the oldest son is being pursued by the unseen entity whilst the family is seeing the priest. You can see a crew member in green pants and brown shoes to the left as the camera perspective turns upside down.
Continuity mistake: When De Niro's character gets in the limousine with Lewis' character he has a hurt hand. He wraps it with a handkerchief. As the scene progresses the handkerchief disappears and reappears depending on the camera angle. (00:07:15)
Factual error: Jan Christiaan Smuts is referred to as the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa in this film when Gandhi is there. Smuts didn't gain the office until 1919, after the death of Prime Minister Louis Botha. Gandhi left South Africa in 1914 and never returned.
Continuity mistake: There is a long scene wherein Meryl Streep is sitting in a bay window going on about something. When we first see her, her eyes are brown. Moments later, they are blue. At the end of the scene they are brown again.
Continuity mistake: When Terry Corrigan goes mad and teaches his students at gun point, he asks one of the thugs a question and holds his gun right up to his face. The tip of the gun is almost touching the thug's face, but from a different angle, the gun is further away.
Continuity mistake: The sequence in which Dragon is chasing Mrs. Brisby through the field, up the tree and eventually into the mill's lake, watch his eyes. The original placement is (from viewer's perspective) blue on the right and gold on the left. When he chases her up the tree the gold one is visible on the right, it then switches back when the camera cuts back to a wide shot. This happens again a few seconds later near the lake.
Continuity mistake: When Hartmuts mother opens the bottle the bottletop is already off before she even touches the bottle.
Factual error: When Gary unscrews the top to the nozzle of the front tire of Karen's bike it automatically starts to make a loud hissing sound as if it's losing air rapidly. This wouldn't happen as although the tire would lose air over time it wouldn't make that loud hissing sound unless there was a rip or tear in the rubber. (00:21:35)
Factual error: Many palace scenes in the mini-series are set in the Forbidden City. This is incorrect, as the Forbidden City was built under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and not completed until about 1420, almost 100 years after Marco Polo's death.
Visible crew/equipment: When Fenwick and Boogie are driving in the country watching the woman on horseback, the window on Fenwick's side of the car goes up and down several times in different shots. When the window is up, the cameraman can be clearly seen reflected in the glass.
Continuity mistake: At one point in the film, the wingspan of Q is mentioned. Later on, its length is mentioned. The monster is twenty feet longer than its wingspan.