Continuity mistake: During the opening scene, after the boat is shot and begins sinking, the officers begin to row away. A close-up shot of the officers is reversed, as Ned Beatty's pocket full of pens and such has moved to his right side, as has the other man's badge. (00:03:30)
Continuity mistake: After being given the brown Ford sedan, interior shots of Gator reveal the interior is blue. Yet when being shown shifting the transmission in close-up, the interior parts are all black. (00:14:05)
Continuity mistake: Close-up interior shots show that Gator's brown Ford has a Hurst floor-shifter and manual transmission. But when he arrives at his parent's home, he very obviously puts the column-mounted automatic shifter into 'Park'. (00:17:10)
Continuity mistake: As Gator is pulling his brown Ford into a parking space, the front bumper has a pipe bolted to its leading edge in a mild 'V'. This feature is not seen elsewhere in the film and was added to protect the car during filming of a collision later in the film. (00:29:25)
Continuity mistake: When Gator parks his car in front of the courthouse, it is between the white painted lines on the ground. But when he returns to the car to show its engine, it is straddling the line and very crooked. (00:29:30 - 00:32:30)
Continuity mistake: Gator's brown Ford sedan alternately does and doesn't have rear bumper guards during the first moonshine chase. (00:40:10)
Continuity mistake: During the first moonshine run chase, and after dealing with the passing train, Gator's car alternatively does and does not have the back glass installed. This is most noticeable while in the lumber yard and afterwards. It isn't lost or damaged during the chase. It's just there, or not, at random. (00:40:50)
Continuity mistake: When Gator is delivering shine to a bar, his shirt is almost entirely soaked with sweat as he is about to enter the building and as he emerges from it. But while inside, there are just a few damp spots scattered around the shirt. (01:10:50)
Continuity mistake: When Roy Boone and Maggie arrive at Dude's funeral in the silver car, the rear windows are down for the close up shots. Just before they park and get out of the car the rear windows are up. (01:26:05 - 01:27:10)
Audio problem: After Gator's car hits the police car and drives off, the police give chase. Despite both cars being in a corn field, Gator's tires squeal as if on pavement when he drives off. (01:34:15)
Continuity mistake: Near the end of the final car chase scene when Sheriff Conners is driving the Ark State Police Car, he briefly stops the car and the blue lights, which had been on throughout the scene, are no longer turned on. Seconds later as the car begins moving again and then flies off the embankment into the lake, the blue lights are on again.
Revealing mistake: During the credits, Diane Ladd is listed as Diane Lad.
Continuity mistake: When Gator escapes from prison, he is shown running first with his shirt open, a few shots later his shirt is now half unbuttoned, but is buttoned up again just before he gets caught.
Factual error: In the second chase scene (when Gator is blocking for Roy) it shows Gator turning on to Laurel street then entering into the parking lot and the storage area of a lumberyard (where the lumber falls on the state police car). Laurel St. is in N. Little Rock and the lumberyard is the old Wrape Stave lumber yard (also known as Dixie Culvert) in E. Sixth street in Little Rock.
