Factual error: As the kidnapper is watching TV, we hear a news anchor describing the kidnapped child. She is described as 12 years old, 3 ft. 5 in. tall, and 52 pounds. This is the size of a child half this age. A 12 year old of this size would be freakishly small, which this character is not. And as we see her throughout the movie, she is easily approaching 5 feet tall and in the 70 - 80 pound range. (00:13:30)
Factual error: During the custody hearing, the Maryland flag in the courtroom is upside down. The rule for a Maryland flag is "black and gold, top of the pole," this flag has the red symbol at the top.
Factual error: The movie is supposed to take place over the course of a single summer. In one section of the film, Bobby is reading a story about VP Nixon's recent Presidential nomination, which took place in 1960. Later, he is reading a story of Maury Wills base stealing record, which occurred in 1962. (00:25:00)
Factual error: Reference the rural scenes. In the 40s, barley fields did not exhibit large perpendicular tracks made by crop sprayers.
Factual error: Towards the end of the movie, Mary sends a hand-written note to Inspector Abberline. The 'r' in her name is written in a North American style, where she is European.
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.
Factual error: When Grace goes into the children's bedroom to wake them up to introduce them to the new nanny and maid, she takes the only lamp they had with her into the bedroom but light is still reflecting off the nanny and maid as if a lamp was still there. (00:08:20)
Factual error: The movie "Cat's Meow," about a real incident that occurred on William R. Hearst's yacht, includes a scene where a female guest, awakened by a gunshot, is wearing hair clips. Those objects were not available in the 1920s, and even if they were, they are totally ineffectual on her combed-flat hair style.
Factual error: When Mike first starts listening to the session tapes, the camera does a slow pan down the label on the box. Quite clearly, we can see that the patient's diagnosis is listed as "D.I.D.", along with a few names. Since the hospital closed in the mid 80's, it is not possible for her to have that diagnosis. Before the early 1990's, D.I.D. (Dissociative Identity Disorder) was known as M.P.D. (Multiple Personality Disorder). In later scenes it is correctly listed in the woman's files as Multiple Personality.
Factual error: At the end of the movie, the son arrives from Dartmouth. But he does so in Grand Central Station. To come from New Hampshire he would have to arrive at Penn Station. (01:53:40)
Factual error: At the beginning, after the blue virus-monster appears, some telephone wires wrap around a scientist's arm. There aren't that many wires in in a normal telephone, nor are they that thick.
Factual error: At the end when Joe, Brandy, Clem and Charlene, the alligator woman are in Joe's 1967 Plymouth GTX, Robby claims his car is faster. Charlene chides back about his Trans Am, saying 'you think you can match that little old slant six against his 426 Hemi?" Pontiac Trans-Am's did not come with slant sixes, a Dodge motor. His was obviously a V-8, and would have most likely have been a 400, but we get the 'yours is really small' reference.
Factual error: There's not enough soda in two cans to soak two ninjas.
Factual error: When Donnie returns to his house to find a jet engine has landed on it, we see them lift the jet engine up with the crane. Yet his family, complete with 5 year old girl, are standing right in front of the crane. Plus workmen are milling around underneath and about 4 FAA officials come from inside the house. They are lifting a 2000lb jet engine, and all these people are allowed to wander around while it's 20ft above them?
Factual error: When Farva is talking to the Rookie about country music awards, Farva lights a cassette tape on fire. The flame would not spread that quickly.
Factual error: When the protagonists arrive to Patmos, latitude and longitude are switched the other way around at 26°489 and 37°411. Moreover, that's not Patmos, but Anydro Patmou, an uninhabited islet unlike what is shown here.