Continuity mistake: Close to the beginning of the film, when we see the President in the White House, someone turns on the TV. In this shot, there is a chair beside the TV, but when it cuts to an overhead shot, the chair has moved itself to a few feet away. (00:15:35 - 00:16:30)
Continuity mistake: At Compact Cable, when David takes the bowl out of the microwave in the close-up, he only wears the black bracelet. Next shot, when Marty comes into David's office the chunky silver link bracelet just appears out of the blue. (Special Edition) (00:14:10)
Continuity mistake: Julius and David are driving in the Plymouth and when they reach DC, the car's rearview mirror is visible from the back, but in the next close-up as they pull up in front of the White House gate, the rearview mirror has vanished.
Continuity mistake: When David is explaining to the President about the aliens' intentions with Earth's satellites, he draws two lines that start at the destroyer and go off straight both edging off Earth. But when he places the paper back on the desk to draw in the satellites, the left lines have risen away from the Earth. (00:41:00)
Continuity mistake: On the television screen that has a map of where all the ships have landed in the Eastern Hemisphere, every city is identified by name, except for Berlin, which is just identified as "Germany." (00:26:50)
Continuity mistake: At the Oval Office, when General Grey says, "They're tracking another one off the California coastline," the grandfather clock is perfectly centered between the two doorways. In the following shots the clock is much farther to the right. (00:14:45)
Continuity mistake: When David squeezes his dad's shoulder, after he just won chess, David has a severe bruise on the middle fingernail of his left hand, which disappears as soon as he gets back to work.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the film when we see the Casse kids in the caravan, one of them is messing with the TV, in one shot we can see his hand on the bottom knob, in the next shot it's on the top knob. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: In the Oval Office, when David says, "They're using our own satellites against us," the grandfather clock is about a foot away from the doorway behind him. In the previous wideshot, when Alex appears at the doorway, the grandfather clock is farther to the right, nearer to the other curtained doorway.
Continuity mistake: When David and Steven are on their way to the mothership, in shots facing David's right side the black safety harness and metal clasp are upside down, but in other shots the harness and clasp are on properly.
Continuity mistake: While David is talking to his wife, he holds the Johnny Walker bottle in his hand, then it is suddenly on the window sill.
Continuity mistake: When President Whitmore and the rest get to Area 51, you see David Levinson in the background. Right before they go through the doors, he has a sunglasses clip over his glasses. As they start walking down the ramp, they are still on, but right after the glass doors open, you can see for a second or two the clip is off the glasses. Then when they go for a close up of Levinson, you can see him take the clip off. (01:14:55)
Continuity mistake: After the President fights the Aliens in the fighter plane he lands to see a lot of people cheering and happy. If you look at his hair when he is walking through the long white hallway, it is messed up and not perfect. A second later, when he walks into the "Command Centre", Connie and Jasmine ask to see if their husbands are okay, if you look at the President's hair, it is now slicked back and perfect. (02:13:10)
Continuity mistake: At the SETI institute, there is a black guy on the phone in many shots, yet in one particular shot he is on the phone, but two seconds later he has jumped into a seat next to the woman and is typing. That's some pretty fast moving. (00:03:30)
Continuity mistake: The airplanes they are flying have 4 missiles, yet at the final air combat the President fires 5 missiles: the first missile hits ship with the shield on, the second and third hit the ship directly, the fourth kills a fighter alien craft, and the fifth shoots at the green light from the main ship. (02:12:15)
Continuity mistake: When the alien aircraft at the beginning of the film first breach the skies over New York, when the camera cuts to peoples reactions, in all shots behind them the sky is filled with clouds, and when it cuts to the alien aircraft, the sky is blue. (00:22:55)
Continuity mistake: In the scene with Steven and David in the cockpit of the alien ship, as Steven hands David the cigar his fingers are close together in the shots facing him, but are spread apart in the shots facing David. (01:52:05)
Continuity mistake: In the middle of the film just before Steven Hiller crashes his fighter jet into the canyon, he looks at his fuel reserve, and if you watch closely the fuel reserve numbers just keep repeating themselves. (01:02:10)
Continuity mistake: Steve and Jasmine are asleep and the house starts to shake. There are 3 pictures on a night stand. Two of the three fall. When they wake up the 2 pictures are back up. (00:22:20)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the film, when the President is being briefed by his members of staff, there is a General wearing a blue uniform sitting by the left armrest of the couch, with his back all the way back touching the backrest. In the next shot, still by the left armrest, he is now sitting farther forward at the edge of the couch. (00:12:55)
Answer: This is indeed a mistake. The character is played by Bill Smitrovich and is listed as playing Captain Watson, but in the briefing scene he is wearing collar insignia for a Lt. Colonel.
lionhead