Continuity mistake: As a young girl in 1984 Gracie looks about 7 or 8. Later when the FBI agents are looking for someone to go undercover at the beauty contest they bring up Gracie's file on their computer screen. If you look at the box on the lower left side you will see her date of birth. She was born in 1968. In my reckoning that would make her 16 years old NOT 7 or 8.
Continuity mistake: At the end when Gracie is talking to Kathy Morningside in the police car as she is arresting her, Kathy's hair is messy and hanging over her face for the first few shots. Then when the car drives off, her hair is perfectly straight and neat. How could she fix it up when her hands are cuffed behind her back? (01:37:05)
Continuity mistake: When Gracie arrives at the hotel after her makeover, she and Victor get out of the taxi cab. She is not wearing her State name sash. But cut to the next shot and you will see that the sash is on over her right shoulder. (00:36:05)
Continuity mistake: While planning their operation, Matthews' watch can be seen as he says, "We've got only 48 hours," and the time reads 1:50. When Clonsky says, "That means we're gonna need all kids of surveillance," Matthews' watch reads 3:45. When Matthews says, "Yeah, yeah. Now I'm thinking," his watch reads 3:00. (00:16:00)
Continuity mistake: While having pizza and beer at the club, Gracie says, "Don't worry about that, we all sucked." In every front shot, Gracie's hair is hanging down the sides of her face, but in the next five side shots, her hair's tucked behind her left ear. Then in the rest of the shots her hair is tucked behind her left hair in all shots. (01:09:10)
Continuity mistake: At the talent preliminary held at the Alamo, while Stan says his intro there is a back shot of the audience in front of him with the judges station seen. After Stan shakes his hips a front shot of the audience is seen. The position of the judges' station is very different in both shots, as well as the audience. (00:51:35)
Continuity mistake: At the Laika Restaurant all guns are pointing at Krashow, the choking Russian. Before Gracie says, "Sir, he's turning purple," Krashow's watch reads, 3:30. Yet just after she says that, his watch reads 6:40. (00:04:55)
Continuity mistake: When trying to retrieve the audio feed into Gracie's earpiece, in the first shot Clonsky has the female connector in his right hand and male connector in his left hand and puts them together. Yet in the close-up of his hands the female connector is in his left hand and male connector is in his right hand. (00:41:50)
Continuity mistake: At the orientation breakfast as Cheryl says, "I got here three days early," we see a seated Miss Ohio stand up and go hug another contestant. Yet in the next shot, a view on the agents' monitor from Gracie's flag cam shows Miss Ohio staying seated while she hugs the other contestant. (00:38:30)
Continuity mistake: As young Gracie faces off with the bully, in the front shots her hair is all pulled back, yet in most side shots and also when she says, "Now get outta here," her hair is loose on the sides of her forehead. Her tee shirt collar also changes position within these shots. Also, the red folder and blue binder change position in these shots. (00:01:05)
Continuity mistake: In the scene towards the end of the film, just before Gracie goes on stage for the finale. Kathy Morningside is trying to open a bottle of pills backstage. She can't open the bottle so shouts for Frank. However instead of calling Frank, she shouts 'Ste..' and then corrects it to 'Frank'. I would imagine this is because Frank Tobin's real name is Steve Monroe. (01:17:05)
Continuity mistake: While Gracie and Cheryl are talking in Gracie's hotel room, the telephone on the nightstand between the two beds is on the right side of the lamp, and Miss Texas is lying down with the burgundy robe over her matching nightgown. When Gracie gets into bed, in this shot the telephone is now on the left side of the lamp and Miss Texas doesn't have the robe on. (00:44:45)
Continuity mistake: In the orientation breakfast, Gracie starts to pray, we see Texas bless herself and Vermont & DC stand up. There is then a close up of Texas and she blesses herself again and Vermont & DC once again stand up. (00:40:33)
Continuity mistake: At her apartment, in the close-up Gracie turns on her stereo and we see the table, office chair, plus a cap with an insignia and two video tapes are lying on top of the TV. In the next two wide shots as she boxes, the chair's in a different position, no cap with insignia and no video tapes are on top of the TV. (00:08:20)
Continuity mistake: There is a scene where Cheryl is bringing hot chocolate to Gracie. Cheryl knocks, and Gracie looks through the peephole. In this shot, you can see that the hallway is white with a door on the far right. However, when Gracie opens the door, the hallway has changed completely; the walls are now a peachy color and there is a painting on the left. (00:43:10)
Continuity mistake: After Kathy is taken away, Matthews and Gracie are together, surrounded by a crowd and police/fire vehicles. His face, and the back and front of his clothing are covered in black smudges. As soon as she asks, "So, how does it feel?" in these shots all the smudges on his face and clothing are different. The crowd and police/fire vehicles differ too. (01:41:45)
Continuity mistake: The agents burst into Laika Restaurant wet from the rain outside. There is a difference in how wet they are, specifically McDonald, in the wide shots, semi close-ups and close-ups. McDonald's left sleeve also changes position between the semi close-ups and wide shots. (00:04:40)
Continuity mistake: In the wide shot as Victor is boarding the airplane, he answers Matthews' question and the suitcase Vic holds in his left hand has a flap with two straps and buckles on the side facing out. In the subsequent close-up the suitcase is reversed, the flap with two straps and buckles are now facing his leg. (01:25:40)
Continuity mistake: Stan asks Cheryl, "Describe your perfect date," and on stage to Cheryl's left are Miss Wisconsin, Connecticut, Indiana and Illinois. Yet after Gracie turns away, in the wide shot there are another two contestants with the original four to Gracie's left. Also in this wide shot, behind Stan and Cheryl there are contestants lined up in front of the shrubbery, but in the previous close-up as she answers the question, there are no contestants behind them. All are idle onstage during the interviewing. (01:05:40)
Continuity mistake: While performing the water glasses Gracie says, "He's definitely the shooter." The next close-up of gun man shows him standing to the left of yellow shirt man, right in front of the display easel, with a particular crowd around them. Gun man's next shot now shows him behind yellow shirt man and no display easel anywhere. His next shot, once again he's to the left of yellow shirt man, in front of the display easel and a man with a stetson and a dark blue denim shirt sits there. Next shot, the display easel and denim shirt man are gone. In the next side wide shots, the display easel is back. (00:53:55)
Answer: It is an image Victor Melling conjures in an effort to elicit a calm, zen-like state for Grace. He is trying to assist her to focus on the competition, rather than her fear of walking the stage in a two piece swimsuit.
Michael Albert