Factual error: When they go to visit the Queen, the Union flag is being flown above Buckingham Palace. The Union flag is only flown when the Queen is not in residence. As the Queen is in residence, the 'Royal Standard' flag should be flown. And anyway, the Union flag has only been flown at the palace since the death of Princess Diana in 1997. (00:43:00)
Factual error: At the start of the film Woz is starting to build an Apple 1 computer. Onscreen caption dates it at 1971. He is wearing an LCD digital watch - this would be far too early.
Factual error: Prince Albert was not really wounded in the assassination attempt depicted near the end of the film. Eyewitness accounts differed as to whether he pushed Victoria down to protect her or simply dived for cover himself, but neither of the two bullets fired struck either of them.
Factual error: Early in the movie, the Dauphin receives another letter from Joan (or her writer). The only person who ever wrote to the Dauphin about Joan was Robert du Baudricourt, and he wrote one letter, and it was about Joan, not for her.
Factual error: To demonstrate his hatred of the England football team, Paul throws darts at a photograph of the players in their red shirts midway through the competition. However, the photo in question was taken after the final was played. Furthermore, in relation to the film's timescale, when the scene takes place neither the team or the choice of kit had been decided upon.
Factual error: Ron Clark was from Aurora North Carolina. The shot where he is leaving for New York is supposed to be in Aurora, which is in Eastern North Carolina. The shot shows a house with lots of spruce trees around it. We don't have those in Eastern North Carolina.
Factual error: The movie takes place in Des Plaines, Illinois, with a couple of scenes from downtown Chicago. However, throughout the movie you can see both palm trees and mountains in the background, none of which actually exist in Illinois. The producers also point this out on the DVD commentary.
Factual error: Cheryl works in the Navy Exchange bookstore. In the United States Military(all branches of service) ONLY civilian employees work in the military exchanges, which are small retail stores for military and their family members.
Factual error: Whenever Steve Coogan is driving his old brown car during the 70s and 80s, you can look out of his windows and see cars that weren't made then, even some with current registration plates on, either driving past, or parked up in driveways, or on the side of the road.
Factual error: In one scene Alvin is driving over a bridge on the Mississippi. He is going in to Prarie Du Chine but the bridge is in a different town, and he is going from east to west not west to east. The town he is driving into is Lansing, Iowa.
Factual error: When they tour the UK with The Rolling Stones the film states 1968, when in reality it was 1966. They then perform "Proud Mary", which Creedence Clearwater Revival did not release originally until 1969, and wasn't covered and didn't become a hit for Ike and Tina Turner until 1971.
Factual error: In the scene where Dave is playing cards with soldiers, some of the paper money being gambled is a design of U.S. money not introduced until about 30 years later.
Factual error: Although correctly addressed as "captain" towards the end of the film, Richthofen continues to wear the rank insignia of an oberleutnant (lieutenant).
Factual error: This is set in the 90s, but in one of the scenes at Stevie's house you can see a Goodman AC unit that is a 2006-2011 model.
Factual error: When we see Elton John's father Stanley in RAF uniform at the beginning of the film he is wearing other ranks' uniform. Stanley was commissioned in 1944, three years before Elton was born, and served as a commissioned officer until his retirement as a squadron leader in 1963. He should be wearing officer's uniform.
Factual error: Pope Benedict and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio are hanging out in the room by the Sistine Chapel having a pizza and a drink together. The drink of choice is Fanta, apparently Joseph Ratzinger's favourite beverage. The scene is supposed to happen in 2012, but the label of the bottle is a more modern one, introduced in 2016. (01:34:20)
Factual error: The mogul run where Molly has her accident is described as a 52 degree slope, when it should actually be a 52 percent slope (23.4°).
Factual error: Eve Curie is shown as having been born before the Curies are nominated for the Nobel Prize in physics, which they eventually won in 1903. However, Even Curie wasn't born until December 6th, 1904.
Factual error: Towards the end of the movie, George W. Bush is seen walking through the Cross Hall of The White House towards what is in reality The East Room. Behind him we see a large staircase with a plant next to it on the other end of the hall. These should not be there: that is where the door to the State Dining Room really is. In the next shot we see W. coming upstairs from a winding staircase that doesn't exist.
Factual error: The French Connection is mentioned at one point. This is 1970, and the movie didn't come out until 1971.