Factual error: Ashley Judd is convicted of murdering her husband for the insurance money and that would make it a first degree murder charge (first degree meaning she planned the murder). Because of that there is no way she would have been eligible for parole after just 6 or 7 years.
Factual error: A copy of Miles Davis' album "Tutu" is sitting on a counter. Odd since the recording wasn't made until 1986.
Factual error: This movie is set in 1935. Back then, executions were done by hanging. The Louisiana Legislature changed the method from hanging to electrocution in 1940.
Factual error: Porter cuts the fuel line on the car but in reality, fuel lines are mostly steel except for a few joints which are only a few inches long. There would be no rubber tube long enough to be cut as shown in the film. (01:01:30)
Factual error: In the scene where the fire department responds to the fire, the engine is 42. Yet all the fireman's hats say 6. The engine company, station etc. would all be the same number so their helmets should have also been 42.
Factual error: As Ray is fighting the big inmate over the cornbread, Ray falls over, revealing a yellow patch on the bottom of his boot. That patch is the trademark of a Vibram sole. Vibram started using the yellow patch in 1965. The scene takes place in the 1930s.
Factual error: The Monet stolen by TC is credited as being the first painting in the Impressionist school, a clear reference to Monet's "Impression: Sunrise" of 1872. However, the painting shown during the entire film is "San Giorgio Maggiore by Twilight," a 1906 Monet painting.
Factual error: Set in the summer of 1977, serial killer David Berkowitz is seen throughout the film wearing a US Army woodland camouflage pattern field jacket. The Army did not start using these jackets nor were any ever made until the early 1980's. They were all solid green until then.
Factual error: When the drug lord hands Malone the gun near the end to shoot the double-crosser, the hammer is cocked back. The drug lord then opens the cylinder and takes out all bullets but one. There are 2 mistakes here: 1) There are no revolvers that open up with the hammer cocked, to avoid accidental firing. They all stay locked shut until the hammer is put back down. 2) The bullet is in the wrong position to be fired next, yet it fires on the first attempt. It should be in the first position to the right (one o'clock) from the hammer.
Factual error: When young Vitti and young Manetta hijacked the farmer off his tractor, a John Deere 730, they pulled the hand clutch backward to go and pushed it forward to stop. On these tractors, the hand clutch operation is just the opposite. Additionally, the JD 730 was not produced until 1958. The mob meeting was in 1957.
Factual error: Well into the movie, when the cop is searching Adrien Brody for contraband, the cop wouldn't be running his bare, ungloved fingers through Brody's mouth.
Factual error: In the beginning where John Travolta is going through the gates in his car, he stops to let the guard on duty see his military ID. Under the US seal it has the words "1ST Sarg." printed. Real military ID's would have "1SG / E8" printed on them where he has "1ST Sarg." printed. Also, his expiration date says "12/24/02". This would be printed as "2002DEC24".
Factual error: When the news reporter is at the Lakeview Lunch which is supposedly on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, below her name it says South Boston, as if that's where they were reporting from. (01:04:10)
Factual error: When Austin sees the reflection of the assassin in Robin's eyes, it should be a reverse image since it's a reflection, but it's not. The assassin is seen raising his right hand both times when the reflection should make it look like it's his left.
Factual error: When Ryuuichi shoots the man in the car with the shotgun, you see a single large glop of blood hit the windshield. From this range, however, the man's head would splatter all over, not just in the one direction as shown in the movie.
Factual error: Towards the end of the movie, Lana and Brandon are driving in a car with 2 other characters, Brandon looks over at Lana then looks out the windshield at the skyline of Dallas, Texas not Nebraska.
Factual error: All of the computers show a Mac OS when they're booted up. However, when Peter is shutting his computer down to try to escape his boss, the computer shuts down to a C: prompt. For those not technically minded, a C: prompt is only seen on IBM-compatible PCs, never on Macs. (00:19:20)
Factual error: In a scene in a bar the music playing is Blur's Song 2, which wasn't released until 1998 and a Kula Shaker song which wasn't released until 1996, by which time Nick Leeson was firmly in prison.
Factual error: The two main characters attempt to cross the bridge of the Petronas Towers hanging from wires holding lights. The view that this shows is wrong. KL Tower is shown in the background, but the bridge cannot be seen from KL Tower. Looking between the Petronas towers from any angle, apart from really high up, above the bridge height, you cannot see KL Tower. (01:30:10)
Factual error: The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver) in November and December. Washington may be known as the "Evergreen State", but there are still numerous deciduous trees - and deciduous trees have leaves that change color in Autumn (yellow, orange, red) and then shed (fall off), not stay green through December or into the new year.
Suggested correction: It's never stated that she was charged with 1st degree murder, nor that she killed her husband for the insurance money. It was only brought up in trial as motive. Nick's accident was ruled "wrongful death" and the fact she did get paroled further show she was never convicted of 1st degree murder.
And what about the phone call from prison the Libby makes to Angie, and Angie says she "was just about to call her" or she tried calling her like how the heck can you call someone in prison!?