Deliberate mistake: To make Jim Braddock look more heroic, Max Baer is portrayed as being very mean and hateful. In fact, the real Max Baer was an extremely pleasant man who was devastated when Frankie Campbell died after fighting him. Many boxing historians and sportswriters have complained about this inaccurate depiction of Baer.
Continuity mistake: When Cortez gets out a photo of his wife pregnant, the photo changes between shots. She is facing a different direction in the next shot. His USMC tattoo, however, stays the same direction throughout the scene. (00:26:55)
Factual error: Halfway into the film, a scene shows Capote talking on a beige telephone. The receiver is a modular (plug in) type. Modular phones were not introduced until after 1966. The time frame for this movie is 1959 through 1963. All other scenes in this movie show the correct type of receiver (wired, not plug-in).
Continuity mistake: Just before Burt gets ready for his record-setting attempt, he wraps some asbestos cloth around his leg to protect it from the hot exhaust pipe. This does not allow him to fit his leg within the cowling of the bike, so he throws it off and puts his leg in without the protective covering. As he inserts his leg into the cowling, you can see that his pants leg is bunched up around his calf, not tucked into the top of his sock, as is Burt's usual procedure. However, a close up of the leg only a few moments later shows the pants leg tucked into the sock, and he could never have done that once he was fully seated in the cowling.
Continuity mistake: When Mother and Mameha are waiting for the bid on Sayuri's mizuage, Mother's cigarette is short at one point, but becomes longer in the next shot.
Continuity mistake: The white Mercedes has a sunroof in some shots, and not in others.
Revealing mistake: When FDR is getting put in the pool at warm springs for the first time, you can see see his normal legs and they have not been done over by CGI, to look as though he has suffered through polio.
Factual error: Towards the beginning of the film, the Cashes receive a notice about their rent. It's the 1950's and the address has a ZIP code. ZIP codes were not introduced until 1963.
Factual error: Bunny Yeager photographed Bettie for the January 1955 issue of Playboy, yet, when Bettie first meets Bunny, there is a 1959 Ford convertible in her driveway.
Continuity mistake: After Elvis's first live performance, his parents are discussing how proud they are. They and the crowd are still moving in time to his song even though he's already stopped, indicating the scene was originally intended to take place during the song.
Continuity mistake: In the scene at the end of the film when the Z-Boys finally get to skate in Sid's empty pool, the skateboard that is left on the steps changes position every other shot. When the guys first get into the pool, it is facing board-side out. In the next shot, it is facing wheel-side out. Then it alternates back and forth until the end of the scene.
Factual error: In the scene where Brian gets fired from The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards sees a live album Jimi Hendrix and mentions it, Brian says Hendrix sent him one. But this scene must have taken place in 1969: Hendrix hadn't released any live albums earlier than 1970.