Factual error: This movie takes place in 1990, but that big 'Welcome to Daytona Beach' sign was not built until 2001. (00:21:05)
Factual error: In the very first scene in the film when the magazine covers are flashing up, the very first one has a headline which says "loose that belly". For a film whose title has the word "lose" in it, you'd think that they could spell this properly.
Factual error: Sarah Polley is dying of cancer. She's not told anyone, and the film is about completing her list of things to do before she dies. There's a scene where she's talking about children with her neighbour, a nurse, the woman who she eventually 'sets up' to replace her, to look after her husband and children, when she's died. The nurse refers to a truamatic incident having nursed Siamese twins in hospital, who both die. She describes how one died before the other -the boy, then the girl. This is medically impossible, as Siamese twins are always the same gender.
Factual error: When Dave is at the Yankee game and he is telling Linda he wants to marry her from the field, it is impossible for his voice to ring throughout the whole stadium without a microphone (even though it echoes as if he were using one.). Similarly, he wouldn't have been able to hear Linda when she shouts "I'm over here." (01:26:30 - 01:27:45)
Factual error: In the scene where Inman is helping build the church he is handed modern pre-cut lumber. This product was not introduced until the middle of the 20th century.
Factual error: When Renee Zellwegger arrives in New York, she exits her cab in front of the United Nations. The Canadian flag is visible. The movie is set in 1962, and the form of Canadian Flag in the shot was not adopted until 1965.
Factual error: Cadence arrives for the wedding on a 727. Closer examination of the aircraft's livery reveals it is a Kitty Hawk Airlines aircraft. This would be fine were Cadence air freight, as Kitty Hawk is a cargo airline. (00:28:40)
Factual error: In the scene where Tom and Sarah are in the French castle, there's a flag hanging in the background. This is the official flag of the Austrian province of Tyrol although the whole scene plays in France. (00:36:45)
Factual error: When Marylin Rexroth's ex-husband dies, she inherits his money because he had not removed her from his will after divorcing her. Under California Probate Code § 6122(a)(1), the dissolution of a marriage automatically revokes any disposition or appointment of property made by the will to the former spouse.
Factual error: In the scene where Ms. Ungermeyer returns to the hotel and takes the elevator upstairs, Sergei detains her in the elevator (to give Lizzie time to get into her room) while the classmates, including Kate, walk up the stairs. Since the rooms were on the first floor, Kate should have reached her and Lizzie's room before Ms. Ungermeyer; however, they enter the room at the same time.
Factual error: In the scene where Karen plays the album "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, she cries to the title track "Both Sides Now". A shot of the CD player indicates that track 7 on the album is playing, but "Both Sides Now" is track 12 on the actual album. (01:29:00)
Factual error: Cody mentions the coordinates of the Cascade Mountains as: Long: 44 degrees 5' 2" Lat: -104 degrees 24' 8". There is no such thing as -104° latitude. The maximum in the northern hemisphere is +90° (the North Pole) and the maximum in the Southern Hemisphere is -90° (South Pole).
Factual error: A hard pack of Winston cigarettes is shown, but these were not available in 1953.
Factual error: Sarah states that Namibia is on the Ivory Coast, while in fact, it is on the Skeleton Coast in southern Africa.
Factual error: In the scene where Meg Ryan and her sister are in the coffee shop, her sister calls to the waitress that they ordered a latte, no foam, very dry - it is impossible to make a dry latte without foam, because dry means "foamy." Not to mention, a very dry latte is technically a cappuccino.
Factual error: When Frances arrives in Cortona. prices in the market are all expressed in Lira (we cleary see 6.000/kg for some vegetables). But after a while she passes close to a newspaper stand which exposes the poster of the satirical magazine "Il Vernacoliere". That poster dates November 2002. By that time the Lira had been replaced by the Euro.
Factual error: During any British election, the Queen avoids making public appearances in order to avoid influencing the election turnout. She usually stays at Windsor castle and would not have hosted such events as the garden party.
Factual error: When Griet is introduced to the camera obscura, far too much light is projected onto Vermeer's and Griet's faces. Camera obscuras don't make their own light; rather the image produced on the viewing screen is always dull.
Factual error: At the beginning of the movie when Anthony Hopkins' character points out to the academic board the definition of "spooks" in the dictionary, it seems to be too close to the front of the dictionary to be in the S section. (00:07:10)
Factual error: In the end of the film, just before Donna is shown inside a cockpit as an airline pilot, there's a shot of her aircraft landing. She flies for Royalty Airlines, but you can see the blue, white, and red stripes of an American Airlines plane.