Factual error: A very common error in First World War films. British soldiers were not permitted to shave their upper lips until 1916 - in 1914 almost all (unless physically unable to grow them) would have had moustaches.
Factual error: Sug Knight drives under the Monorail tracks. These tracks were not built until after 2002. Tupac was killed in 1996. (02:12:00)
Factual error: When the "Little Wharvey Gals" are singing they show a shot of the crowd in which there is a man smoking a filtered cigarette. Cigarettes were not filtered until the late '40's.
Factual error: Tommy is wearing a Hulkamania shirt while the band is being assembled together. The band was formed in 1981. Hulkamania didn't start until 1984.
Factual error: The film is set in 1987 but most of the street lights seen throughout the movie are LED street lights and some high pressure sodium Philips lanterns (produced from the early 1990s to early 2000s), neither of which were around back then. Similarly many of the shots of the M1 motorway show modern cars and smart motorway/variable speed limits, which never existed at the time.
Factual error: When The Oneders are recording their song with Uncle Bob, there is an In-N-Out cup sitting by the recording equipment. There are no In-N-Out restaurants in PA.
Factual error: Morrison did finish film school in real life. He did not drop out as depicted in the film.
Factual error: In the scene where Ms. Ungermeyer returns to the hotel and takes the elevator upstairs, Sergei detains her in the elevator (to give Lizzie time to get into her room) while the classmates, including Kate, walk up the stairs. Since the rooms were on the first floor, Kate should have reached her and Lizzie's room before Ms. Ungermeyer; however, they enter the room at the same time.
Factual error: In the scene where the young Helen Goff is traveling by train with her family, it's obvious that an American engine and coaches have been used, instead of a Queensland Rail locomotive of the era. None of the QR locomotives had flared smokestacks like on the one seen in the movie. The coaches are also incorrect - as far as I know, none of the Queensland Rail wood coaches had clerestory roofs with a set of windows in them like seen in the movie. When Helen looks out the back of the train, it's also obvious that the tracks are spaced at 'standard gauge' (4' 8.5"). They should be closer together, as railways in Queensland are built to 3'6" gauge instead. There is also no such company as the 'Queensland Victoria Railway Co', as marked on the coaches, as all railways in Australia are state owned.
Factual error: An old man appears with children following him. This is supposed to be pedagogue Janusz Korczak. It appeared as if he was just wearing a suit and a Jewish arm band. In the Warsaw Ghetto, Mr. Korczak never wore an arm band and wore his WWI Polish Army Uniform, both as acts of defiance. He was beaten and almost put to death (he had connections) for not wearing an arm band so having one on in the movie is inaccurate.
Factual error: When Madonna greets her audience for the kick-off night of the Blond Ambition World Tour in Tokyo, we're actually seeing the second show, not the first.
Factual error: Although the film is set in 1962, it uses the song "You Don't Own Me" which wasn't released until 1963 (and didn't become a big hit until 1964).
Factual error: The frozen treats used at certain points in this movie are labeled with nutrition labels found in the U.S. today. The labels looked extremely different in the 70's.
Factual error: In the Pop Goes My Heart video, the keyboard is a Roland D-50. At the start of the video it's said that it was from 1984. The D-50 wasn't released until 1987 to compete with the Yamaha DX7. (00:01:15)
Factual error: Young Dewey is seen driving a tractor near the beginning of the movie. The year is supposed to be 1946, but the tractor is a 1950's Ford.
Factual error: After Berry and one of the Country Bears get in the bus to find the others, they show a scene with the bus going along a road and Berry leans out the window. Here you can see the side of the bus is spick 'n' span clean. Then, later, the bus is as dirty as it was when it left the shack, very noticeable at the start of the carwash scene.
Factual error: During the first scenes of the film the Greek flag used is the current one, and not the one used at that time. The flag that should have been used is a white cross on blue.
Factual error: What on earth is the conductor at the premiere of the 9th doing with a baton? This was not used until around 1849, and the premiere of the 9th is in 1824.
Factual error: At the very end of the movie, the Pope gives the nuns a standing ovation. The other people seated in the box with him should have immediately risen at this time. Instead, the man seated to his left looks up at him, seeing that the pontiff has stood, but makes no movement to join him on his feet.
Factual error: There is a scene with his baby, Ray Jr. has a butterfly shaped pacifier in his mouth. They didn't have butterfly pacifiers then - just plain old pacifiers were available.