Parenthood

Continuity mistake: During the family dinner, the level of the wine in all the characters' glasses changes from one shot to the next.

Continuity mistake: In the classroom, when Susan and Nathan kiss beside the blackboard, the blue loose-leaf binder on the boy's desk is closed, whereas in the previous and following shots it is open. (01:43:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Helen drops her handbag and Julie's photos all over the floor, as she runs after Julie, when Julie returns the handbag's position is completely different and the orange blanket repeatedly changes as well. (00:28:25)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Gil talks to Karen in the van about his dazzling Dave and being tense, the red and white registration sticker is visible at the lower right corner of the windshield. When Gil and Karen's van is totaled that registration sticker is conspicuously gone. (01:15:40 - 01:16:40)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Julie picks up the photos from the floor and explains how she feels about Tod, she grabs the large duffel, tosses it onto her shoulder and picks up the smaller bag. Next shot, both bags are still on the floor. (00:29:05)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: During Kevin's party, streamers change position and/or balloons change color and/or amount. For example, when the kids first run from Gil's water guns there are five balloons on the trellis left post, but when Gil brings out the cake there are seven. (00:54:50)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: At the start of Kevin's party, the horse seen giving a child a ride has a small white mark on his face, between the eyes. When Cowboy Gil rides the horse he now has a long, broad white mark down his face.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Justin disrupts Taylor's play, just as Gil feels the roller coaster ride, there's a shot of the stage and most of the set is already knocked over. When Gil's ride stops more of the set is intact and then topples again and again. (01:54:20)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: In the kitchen, when Tod and Helen talk about Garry, various things repeatedly move around. For example, the kettle turns itself around in Helen's close-ups and the tongs move all over the plate between shots. (01:10:00)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Helen throws the pictures of her daughter and her boyfriend down, the pictures are all over the floor, and by the chair she is sitting in. However, when her daughter comes in the room to pick them up, they are all in a pile closer to the coffee table.

Pam-I-am

Continuity mistake: When Julie walks into the house, just as her mom looks at the photos, her very long hair lies in front of both shoulders, but in the next back shot, it is all noticeably pulled to one side, only in front of her right shoulder. (00:27:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: At her mom's house, after Julie pulls Tod's helmet out of her bag, in the front shot she holds it up on the right side of its 'open face', but next back shot she holds it on its opposite side. (01:23:00)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: During the power outage at Helen's house, Kevin shouts, "Mom! Dad! What happened?" as he stands behind his chair, but next shot, he is just now getting up from his seat, as his mom nears. (00:22:15)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Todd wrecks in the drag race, Gary is running to the car and his hat falls off, but when he gets to the car, he has it on his head.

Pam-I-am

Continuity mistake: When Susan (the teacher) begins class she writes the word "bonus" on the board. When her husband comes in and starts singing, the handwriting changes in following shots.

Pam-I-am

Continuity mistake: During Gil and Karen's discussion regarding the upcoming meeting with the principal, when Gil says, "Y'know that really pisses me off. The kid's a little differentÂ…" things on the closet shelf noticeably change between shots. (00:09:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: At her mom's house, when Julie confronts Tod about racing, she holds the bag's top handle in her left hand as she pulls the helmet out of her bag. In the next front shot she has the base of the large bag in her left hand. (01:22:50)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: During the family dinner, the level of the wine in all the characters' glasses changes from one shot to the next.

More mistakes in Parenthood

Marilyn Buckman: Cool is adorable. Adorable! Why didn't you write us when you had a son?
Larry Buckman: I didn't know myself until a couple of months ago. You see, a few years ago, I was living in Vegas with this girl. Showgirl. She was in that show 'Elvis On Ice'. Anyhow, we drifted apart, as people do in these complicated times, and then a couple of months ago, she shows up with Cool and tells me "You watch him. I shot someone. I have to leave the country " That's a parent?

More quotes from Parenthood

Trivia: On the promotional movie poster, a frazzled Steve Martin is shown holding 2 children upside down by their ankles. On the set, sometimes the children would get unruly, so as a joke, Steve Martin once grabbed 2 of the unruly children and actually held them upside down by their ankles. Director Ron Howard saw this and decided it would make a funny promotional picture, so that's where he got the idea for it.

More trivia for Parenthood

Question: Is the timeline in this movie supposed to be somewhat non-linear? For example - in the scene where Karen and Gill go to Kevin's school to talk to the principal and psychologist, it is specifically mentioned that the new school year is 4 months away meaning it is approximately April since kids typically began school in August. Later, when Larry comes to visit and is talking to the dad in the garage, he mentions the Super Bowl (which you reasonably would have assumed they just watched) but that takes place in January. Plus, Larry's mom tells them that Cool (Larry's son) has just finished eating lunch. How? If they just watched the Super Bowl, it would be dinner since the game is always played in the afternoon. And despite being in "St. Louis" (we know they actually filmed in Florida), it never seems to be winter. The end is really the most confusing with the birthing order. We learned earlier in a scene that Karen is pregnant and is due in February. At some point around this time, we find out that Julie is also pregnant. At this point, Julie's mom Helen has just gone on her first date with Mr. Bowen (Garry's biology teacher) but the end, Helen is having a baby, Julie and Tod's baby barely looks a month old and Karen's baby looks to be about 4 months old. Did Helen marry Mr. Bowen immediately and get pregnant right away?

Answer: The movie is being told in a linear timeline. You have just about all the information right! I think the one thing you are letting throw you off is your assessment of the Super Bowl. You are surmising that they had just watched the game that day, but my assessment is that they are talking about the game from months ago (bearing in mind that Larry has not been around for years and has not seen his father since the last Super Bowl). My belief is the movie takes place in May. That would add up with Kevin's next year of school being 4 months away as schools usually start in September, and the math also works out with Karen's February due date. This would also explain your concern about the weather. As for Helen's baby, it is not made clear whether or not she married Mr. Bowman, nor does it really matter for timeline purposes, but they consummated the relationship not long after the first date and she got pregnant.

jshy7979

More questions & answers from Parenthood

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