Factual error: In a couple of scenes, most notably the one where Graysmith drives his kid to school, there are newer cars in the background than the year it is supposed to be. In this scene the car is a 1971 Chrysler, when the scene takes place in 1969.
Factual error: The movie was meant to be set in Oregon, but it was actually filmed in Shreveport, Louisiana. In the scene that has Tracy leaving the apartment complex where Bafford (Mr. Smith) is, she is worried that she is being chased by a jogger who may possibly be Mekes. In the background, during the shot where the jogger first appears, a brown sign can be seen. These specific signs are unique to Louisiana and describe the history of certain locations, this one obviously being Shreveport.
Factual error: When Stowe and Callaghan shoot each other at the end, the CGI shell casings have huge, unrealistic primers.
Factual error: In Las Vegas Paris and The Vencian are not next to each other. They farther part then that. Next to Paris is Ballys. (00:53:10)
Factual error: At the beginning of the film, in Concepción, Chile; the accent spoken is from Central American people, not Chilean.
Factual error: The route that Hanssen discusses with O'Neil on their way back to the FBI headquarters, from the DIA, is not geographically correct and would not get them from point A to point B.
Factual error: After the little girl is taken they play audio of the mother on the phone with 911, the operator says they can't do anything for 24 hours. Police do not wait 24 hours to look for a missing person, especially a child.
Factual error: Contrary to popular belief, a person won't freeze immediately in outer space, as depicted in the movie. Space may be cold, but it's also a great insulator and the biggest problem for astronauts is dissipating the heat generated in their bodies.
Factual error: In the beginning when Anwar is in Cape Town, South Africa, according to the shadows cast by the men in Anwar's party, it's about 1 pm. He makes a call to Isabella in Chicago, United States when he apologizes for not calling her earlier. Cape Town is 8 hours ahead of Chicago, it would have been pitch dark in Chicago at that time but Isabella is outside in the midday sun playing soccer with Jeremy.
Factual error: During the police chase, the helicopter calls in a car approaching at speed behind the police cars, but he calls it a "late model Trans Am." The Trans Am is an early model at best, as it is a 79 to 81 second generation (of 4) Trans Am. A late model Trans Am would be more accurately described as one of the fourth generation models built until 2002, and look nothing like a 79 to 81, even from the air. It might be considered a character mistake, except that police are generally knowledgable about the make and style of cars from various years. If the pilot or passenger of the helicopter were able to identify it as a Trans Am, they should be able to identify it as an older model, not a late model.
Factual error: When Tom shocks Angela with a stun gun, she gets knocked out. That's impossible. Stun guns don't knock you out. Stun guns don't cause unconsciousness.
Factual error: Right after Walter has the nightmare about killing his wife, he wakes up and turns around to see the alarm clock show 11:12. The clock makes a flipping sound when it switches to the next minute, just like those alarm clocks from the 1980s that have those little numbered plastic cards inside. However, it's a digital alarm clock and they do not make such sounds.
Factual error: The second part of the movie is supposed to be located near Lebanon, TN, however, it is fairly obvious the terrain is Southern California. I realize that movie companies often use different locations to film than what they really are, but the landscape between CA and TN is vastly different.
Factual error: At the scene in the church, there are lots of security personnel standing around wearing steel helmets. The helmet type seems to be an East German M56 helmet (standard for the East German Armed forces until reunification). There is no reason why a Russian security force would have the M56 helmet. (Only if the makers of the movie where able to purchase a lot cheaply :).)
Factual error: This movie takes place in Seattle. However, when Jack gets his car and drives out of his office you can see a Bell Canada building.
Factual error: In the control room, the TV monitors show Vinnie Jones face against a background of the British flag. It is upside-down.
Factual error: Several mistakes about the clock in Jigsaw's workshop: around 300 years ago the first pendulum clocks were built. They were completely different by size and design than this one, so the claim that it is so old is completely wrong. Real pendulum clocks like the one seen in the movie never have a second hand from center. You can also see by the movement of the second hand that it is a modern, battery operated quartz movement. This also means that the ticking you hear is not created by the clock itself but was added later. (00:38:40)
Factual error: The Motorola RAZR's SMS beep only happens in a very long interval - not like the one in the restaurant scene, where it was virtually just like a ringtone. Even given the possibility that it's a custom tone, the RAZR doesn't ring that long between beeps.
Factual error: In the intro sequence of the movie where they show old clippings and all, the animation part depicting the sep,11 incident seems to be wrong. A plane is shown moving towards the south tower while the north tower stands clear of smoke. In the actual incident, the north tower took the first hit. The north tower in the animation can be identified by the antenna. (00:03:10)
Factual error: The kitten in the Viking scene is long-haired. Long haired cats did not appear in Europe until many centuries later.