Factual error: The meeting-house singing uses songs from the Sacred Harp tradition, in four-part harmony. However, these songs were sung in three parts until the alto was added in 1902.
Continuity mistake: When Inman first lays down next to Sara, his (right shoulder to us) is on top of Sara's (left shoulder to us), then it shows Sara take Inman's hand, and in the next shot, their shoulders are side by side.
Other mistake: Inman yells at the escaping slaves because he wants to buy an egg, and then spits blood from his throat afterward and we can tell that it hurts him to speak but then we see him in the swamp and he yells at the minister, but his voice does not crack and it doesn't seem to hurt him. Then when they are escaping in the ferry, he rubs his throat from talking. It should have hurt his throat badly when he yells "I should have shot you." but his throat seems fine.
Revealing mistake: When Inman is staying in Sara's corn crib, the "corn" cobs are plastic.
Continuity mistake: When Sara rests her head on Inman's chest, Inman's right hand is down by his side. The angle changes and his hand is on her shoulder.
Revealing mistake: When Inman is escaping the hospital to start his walk back to Ada, he is in bed. It is supposed to look like he throws the blanket off himself, but it is obvious that there are 2 strings pulling the blanket off him.
Answer: SPOILER: The director is building up to the peak of pathos of Inman being killed. While it is good to have many other sad scenes prior to this to foreshadow it, he probably felt that a dead baby and its mother's suicide might actually trump the hero's death in the sadness stakes which would make the real ending an anti-climax.
Oscar Bravo