Factual error: Considering Happy lives on an upper floor, his apartment complex must have the world's fastest elevator. His girlfriend leaves him and is down by the front door in less than 15 seconds.
Factual error: The women graduate from Middlebury College, but the location used in the opening college dorm scene is in Brooklyn, not in Vermont, nor is it Middlebury. At first the Chapel spire appears to be "The Old Chapel" on the Middlebury campus, but as the camera pans down, any Middlebury alum would catch the error.
Factual error: In the wedding scene at the beginning, the new Mrs. Weston is shown wearing a white dress. This was not the convention at that time; white wedding dresses were pioneered by Queen Victoria (1840-1901). The bride would simply have worn her best dress.
Suggested correction: A white dress may very well have been an unmarried lady's best dress at the time, as it was common for young ladies to wear white.
Factual error: Following their re-equipping at the South Essex depot, Sharpe marches his battalion across the bridge towards London. However, every non-commissioned officer is aware that troops don't march across a bridge. They break step to avoid setting up harmonics that would collapse the structure.
Factual error: When Gotti is outside kicking over trash cans while the surveillance photos are being taken, a series of 1990s vans are seen driving down the street, though the scene takes place in the 1970s.
Factual error: When the policemen enter the hotel room to arrest Begbie, who is trashing the place, they are wearing Scottish-style flat check-band police caps. But this scene is set in London, and in the early 1980s (when the film and book are set) the Metropolitan police all wore the famous 'bobby' tall black helmets.
Factual error: Carousel was not playing on Broadway in 1996, when the movie is set. We see an outside shot of the Carousel marquee on Broadway with the mayor inside watching a full scale production. A U.S. National tour with a scaled-down production began in February 1996 in Houston and closed in May 1997 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Factual error: The movie takes place in 1925 but the uniform of the German fighter as well as the Zeppelin's markings are those of the Empire (gone 7 years ago).
Factual error: In one scene, the guys are playing what they say is NHL 94 on the Sega Genesis. One person comments that fighting was removed and you could make player's heads' bleed. This is inaccurate, because fighting and bleeding were both removed in NHL 94. Secondly, the bleeding and fighting were in the game they were playing: NHLPA Hockey '93.
Factual error: At the Oro Array, the breakers are turned off because the power is cut. When the alien cuts the cables to the computers, sparks fly out as if there is power.
Factual error: A cigarette cannot ignite petroleum fumes as it does not burn hot enough. This is a common mistake found in a lot of movies.
Factual error: After the fight in "Joe's", Michael, Frank, Huey, and Dorothy were arrested on multiple charges and confined in the same jail cell plus the dog was also allowed to stay with them. The police officer shut off the lights and left the arrestees alone overnight in the cell; a jail would have officers/staff present at all times. (00:50:19)
Factual error: When the band are playing "March of the Cobblers" at Saddleworth, Andy (tenor horn) and Harry (euphonium) are heard playing the main tune of the march. In real life however, these two instruments do not play the tune, they have separate parts for the accompaniment.