Continuity mistake: When Charlie and Valerie talk in the restaurant you see in the background behind Charlie the same waiter approach a lady and lean over her twice in exactly the same way within a few seconds. (00:04:40)
Continuity mistake: When the police officer drives by the two cars of the orchid stealers they are in the shade. When he stops and looks back the sun is shining on the cars, also when he gets out and walks over. (00:07:40)
Continuity mistake: When Susan talks to Matthew at the orchid nursery his left braid keeps moving forward and backward in alternating shots. (00:21:40)
Continuity mistake: When Charlie calls his agent there's a floor lamp in the background leaning against the wall. A little later he throws a fit and knocks the lamp over which is now standing upright. (01:03:50)
Continuity mistake: The first time Susan Orlean is in Florida riding in the pickup truck with John Laroche, the cigarette he is smoking changes from hand to hand throughout the scene. (00:19:45)
Continuity mistake: At the very end of the movie when Charlie drives out of the garage by himself there's one shot from behind where someone (Amelia?) is sitting in the passenger's seat. (01:45:00)
Continuity mistake: When Charlie masturbates fantasizing about making love to Susan his stubbles grow by at least a day between shots. (00:51:40)
Continuity mistake: When Susan has guests at her place she goes to the bathroom. When she walks through the door and the camera shows her from inside her hair changes from tucked behind both ears to hanging down. (00:25:00)
Continuity mistake: In Charlie's second scene at the diner his right arm switches between on and under the table in alternating shots. (00:32:15)
Continuity mistake: When Donald interviews Susan at her office the traffic jam in the street down below keeps appearing and disappearing between shots. (01:14:00)
Continuity mistake: When the men are in the swamp stealing the orchids Laroche is smoking a cigarette. In different camera shots the cigarette goes from long to short and back to long again. (00:07:20)
Continuity mistake: When Charlie, Donald, and his girlfriend have breakfast Donald puts a pot of coffee on the table. In the next shot the pot has moved to a different place, and the coffee is sloshing around in the pot. Then Donald reaches for the pot, obviously to pour coffee for his girlfriend and himself, and after a brief shot at Charlie the pot is put down and almost empty, but the content is absolutely still. Then the camera cuts briefly to Charlie, then back to Donald, and the pot is fuller and the coffee is again slightly moving. (00:53:40)
Revealing mistake: When you watch the accident scene frame by frame you see that Laroche's mother and uncle are replaced by dummies. You can see the joints in his mother's hands and a large spring that holds his uncle's head in place. (00:41:50)
Continuity mistake: When Susan is at the hotel and calls Laroche the cord from the receiver disappears when she lies on the floor. It's not a cordless phone as we could see when she was lying on the bed. (01:22:10)
Continuity mistake: In Charlie's first scene at the diner the menu appears next to Susan Orlean's orchid book from one shot to the next. (00:28:40)
Continuity mistake: Amelia's bangs change back and forth between shots in almost all her scenes: When she talks to Charlie at the party sitting on the floor, when he drops her off after the concert, and also when she comes to another party with her new boyfriend and meets Donald and Charlie. (00:13:00 - 00:30:05)
Continuity mistake: When Susan and Laroche look for the ghost orchid in the swamps Susan's sunglasses get replaced by her (rather similar looking) regular glasses between shots. (01:00:40)
Continuity mistake: When Donald asks Charlie why Amelia doesn't come anymore he is lying on the floor, holding McKee's book standing upright on his stomach. There's one shot in between where the book is lying face-down and the light is a lot brighter. (00:20:35)
Continuity mistake: After Laroche gets killed by the alligator the two deep scratches on Charlie's forehead change shape. (01:39:55)
