Factual error: When the drug lord hands Malone the gun near the end to shoot the double-crosser, the hammer is cocked back. The drug lord then opens the cylinder and takes out all bullets but one. There are 2 mistakes here: 1) There are no revolvers that open up with the hammer cocked, to avoid accidental firing. They all stay locked shut until the hammer is put back down. 2) The bullet is in the wrong position to be fired next, yet it fires on the first attempt. It should be in the first position to the right (one o'clock) from the hammer.
Factual error: In the scene where Taylor Jackson's father leads the march to the public pool at night, it is lit with several underwater lights. Underwater swimming pool lights were invented in 1980, well after the time period in which this film is set. (00:47:25)
Factual error: When young Vitti and young Manetta hijacked the farmer off his tractor, a John Deere 730, they pulled the hand clutch backward to go and pushed it forward to stop. On these tractors, the hand clutch operation is just the opposite. Additionally, the JD 730 was not produced until 1958. The mob meeting was in 1957.
Factual error: When Austin sees the reflection of the assassin in Robin's eyes, it should be a reverse image since it's a reflection, but it's not. The assassin is seen raising his right hand both times when the reflection should make it look like it's his left.
Factual error: In two spots in the movie, first with Thornton and the second time with both Thornton and Cusack they stood on the runway over the threshold markings and waited for a landing aircraft so they could feel the strength of a wake turbulence. On final approach the pilot would have seen him/them on the runway and called a missed approach and execute a go around. You just don't land when there is an obstruction on the runway, it makes a hell of a mess of the undercarriage...
Factual error: As the Khan family enter Bradford, they go over a sleeping policeman. These weren't around in 1971. (00:30:45)
Factual error: In the scene where Arthur tries to convince Gertrude to not force her husband to "retire from public life" you can see (in the close up shots) that his right ear has been pierced twice which is inconsistent with the time period.
Factual error: One of the operetta excerpts shown in the movie is the humorous song "This Helmet I Suppose," during which Princess Ida's three brothers are supposed to remove their armor piece by piece, finding it heavy, hot and awkward. Partly as a result of this, the three are soon afterwards quickly and easily defeated in combat. In the film, however, only Arac, the brother singing the verses (played by Richard Temple (played by Timothy Spall)), removes his armor. The others simply stand still. (This might have made the battle scene end differently if it was shown on screen!)
Factual error: In the very last scene the train is stopped by the Russian army and their tanks. The tanks are T-54's, which were not produced until 1955. (01:53:28)
Factual error: All of the computers show a Mac OS when they're booted up. However, when Peter is shutting his computer down to try to escape his boss, the computer shuts down to a C: prompt. For those not technically minded, a C: prompt is only seen on IBM-compatible PCs, never on Macs. (00:19:20)
Factual error: Eight months after Craig has taken over JM and made him into a puppeteer JM's hair is much, much longer than it could have grown within that period. (01:25:00)
Factual error: At many points, particularly when Nixon has resigned, the soldiers around the White House are using modern M16A2 rifles, which I don't think the US military used until the 1980's.
Factual error: Tony the disco bandit is dancing just after Casanova is released. He looks at the record player and sleeve. The record is a relatively modern vinyl stereo LP at a speed of 33 RPM. But the record player is a really antique machine for bakelite mono records that play at 78 RPM. Even if it could play the record, the sound would have been completely wrong.
Factual error: In the fight scene on the train, Silent Bob hits the "Door Open" button to throw Bartleby out of the last car of the train. Such doors are kept locked.
Factual error: The events of the film take place in the early decades of the 18th century. However, in shots outside the front door of the house throughout the entire film there is a large rhododendron bush, a species which didn't arrive in England until the mid 19th century.
Factual error: When they are at the Greek restaurant, there is a writing on the wall in Greek. It reads "ΚΑΤΣΟ ΝΑ ΣΚΑΣΟ" but the correct spelling is "ΚΑΤΣΩ ΝΑ ΣΚΑΣΩ"
Factual error: When Heather pulls up in her car and confronts Oz after seeing Stifler making fun of her on the Lacrosse field her car has an actual Michigan license plate on it. One of the producers even pointed it out on the DVD thinking that it was a great attention to detail. The only problem with that is the plate is on the front bumper. Michigan does not have licence plates on the front, only in the back. (00:41:10)
Factual error: When Gladys Leeman and her cohorts pull up to the Mall Of America in the beginning of the film. The documentary crew talks to Gladys in the parking lot. If you look carefully, you can see a Target store in the background. This scene was not filmed at the Mall Of America, mainly because there is no Target anywhere near the Mall Of America. The shopping mall in the film is Eden Prairie Center in Eden Prairie, MN.
Factual error: After Deuce gives up man whoring and goes back to fixing fish tanks we see him fixing a lobster tank in a seafood restaurant. While he is fixing the tank a waiter removes a lobster from the tank. The lobster is bright red. Lobsters only turn bright red when they have been cooked. Since Deuce is working on a tank for live lobsters the lobster removed from the tank should have been brown, not red.
Factual error: Grizzly bears are not present as far East as Maine and therefore would not have been anywhere near Lake Placid.