Factual error: During the first scenes of the film the Greek flag used is the current one, and not the one used at that time. The flag that should have been used is a white cross on blue.
Factual error: The film is set in 1951 but Peter and Adele have their first dance to the tune "Stranger On The Shore" which was first released in 1961.
Factual error: The year is 1969 when they steal the first aircraft (single engine Cessna), and there is a 757 taking off in the background. The 757 first flew on 02-19-82. (00:22:05)
Factual error: When the team goes to the game to watch the Cubs and Sammi Sosa, Conner evidently drives 4 hours to the east. The ballpark shown in the movie is Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
Factual error: In the opening credits, a new model Chevy S-10 is shown. That body style wasn't out till the mid 90's.
Factual error: Although you'd have to actually live in Boise to catch the myriad of differences from the movie town, the most glaring is that the movie Boise appears to be a lush rainforest, like Vancouver or Seattle. The real Boise is strictly desert, and you won't find those green interstate medians anywhere near here.
Factual error: In the beginning of the film with Coleen after George gets up, also in several other "morning" shots, the sun is always shown near the horizon or reflecting off the ocean. On the west coast this would make this the evening.
Factual error: Reference the rural scenes. In the 40s, barley fields did not exhibit large perpendicular tracks made by crop sprayers.
Factual error: Philip uses his left hand to sign the decree declaring Joan officially crazy. No one in the 15th century would have used his left hand to write, as 1) it was considered the wrong hand to write with and 2) writing with the left hand would have smudged the fresh ink and rendered any document unreadable.
Factual error: Paris control refuses to allow the Concorde to land at Paris, and orders the flight to return to the US. It is highly unlikely that the Concorde can carry enough fuel to make two trips across the Atlantic without refueling. Very few aircraft have the fuel capacity to go to the destination and return. It usually costs too much to carry excess fuel on a flight.
Factual error: The captain's rank insignia ("train tracks") sewn onto the right collar tip of the battle dress uniform of Gandolfini's aide is sewn on incorrectly. The train tracks should be angled on a diagonal where the upper part is oriented toward the neck and lower part toward the tip of the collar. The aide's rank is angled on a diagonal in the opposite direction. This is not a minor mistake - any vet would notice this at a glance.
Factual error: Two problems with the end of the movie - first, a doctor must declare death officially before bodies can be bagged, and second, the bodies cannot be moved until a full investigation is performed.
Factual error: On his arrival at Longmarsh Prison, Danny Meehan is told that the establishment is a 'Cat B' prison. However, earlier in the plot, we learn that Danny Meehan is to be sent to a 'high security' prison. Cat B prisons are not high security prisons. They are known as 'local' or 'training' prisons. 'Dispersal' or 'Cat A' prisons form part of the high security estate.
Factual error: It's established that the kids live in and go to school on the South Side (south of the Loop), and much is made of the fact that Malakai has nothing but his "respect" within his neighbourhood. At the movie's end, where Malakai wants Derek to accompany him on the robbery/murder, he tells Derek, "Meet me at 47th street, under the El." Yet when Derek runs off and jumps on the train to go meet Sara, we see him getting on a Brown Line train - those trains can only be found on the North side, miles and miles away from 47th street. In addition, his train is shown heading SOUTH toward the Loop, which means in order to be going that direction on that train he'd have rode on the train for about an hour, past the Loop entirely, then gotten off and turned back around toward the Loop again.
Factual error: The German mine expert is working with his face shield open while he is trying to defuse the mine placed under Cera. (01:15:45)
Factual error: When Harry takes the drunken Mickie out of the club the doormen manhandle Mickie in a way a doorman would never treat a member of the club. (00:21:00)
Factual error: One scene shows Muslims in prayer. There, the Muslims go from standing to getting on their knees. The problem with this is while in prayer, Muslims never go directly from standing to being on their knees. First, they would go bend over into a bow with their back perpendicular to their legs, then they would stand again, then go into prostration (on their knees while placing their forehead and nose on the ground) then they would go to to sitting up right on their knees.
Factual error: Ed Crane is executed by electrocution at the end of the film. However, in 1949, when the film is set, the gas chamber was used as the sole method of execution. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California has never used the electric chair as a means of capital punishment.
Factual error: At the end of the movie when David jumps into to the water in downtown Manhattan, he lands in Coney Island. Coney Island is in Brooklyn, a long way from Manhattan.
Factual error: After the hitman Joe shoots Ed in his office and is placing the gun in Ed's hand, it discharges and shoots a hole in the wall. The appearance of the wallpaper around the hole makes it look more like an exit hole than an entrance hole.