Revealing mistake: When "Roy" pushes Martin into the wall during their first meeting, you can see the wall shaking on impact. (01:14:30)
Continuity mistake: Near the end of the film, as Aaron/Roy reveals his deception to Martin, notice the jail cell 'door' behind Martin. During the majority of the scene the door is closed, but in a couple of shots it is wide open.
Continuity mistake: In the scene in the bar when Martin is talking to the reporter and drinking, the napkin with the slice of lime on the counter in front of the liquor bottle moves from place to place in the shots, and to start with the reporter is on Martin's right (viewed from behind the bar) and then on his left (from the bar side).
Factual error: In the beginning the guy shooting pool gives a CD to Richard Gere, he says that the song they were listening to is the fourth song when in fact it's the first song on the album.
Factual error: Though the movie is set in Chicago, Laura Linney refers to the prosecutor's office she works for as the DA's office. There is no DA's office in Chicago. In Chicago, this office is called the State's Attorney's Office.
Character mistake: The archbishop wears a red zucco on his head at the dinner. Purple is the color of a bishop or archbishop. Red is the color of a cardinal.
Suggested correction: Generally true, but the specifics are not straightforward. The problem lies in the interpretation of "purple." Depending on the source, the purple may actually be "amaranth red" (which is a reddish-purple, but may look more like fuschia) or "magenta" (which may appear to be a reddish-purple or a purplish-red). Magenta is an equal mixture of red and blue, so the result should look somewhere between red and purple. How these colors or blends are perceived on screen may vary with the tint setting.
Also, it may be possible that the more reddish-looking zuccetto was meant to be and match the choir's red.
Other mistake: When Aaron is asked how he pleads, Vail instructs him to not answer and invoke his Fifth Amendment right. He then presents the judge with case law that supports that instruction. Roy attacks Martin after the doctor has left the room. That means the evaluation is still being completed. But after the attack, Vail tells the doctor he cannot change the plea in the middle of a trial. There could not yet have been a plea because the evaluation was still being done.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie, Richard Gere's secretary ties his Bowie bowtie for him with the strap over his collar. He puts on his jacket, you can see the tie over the collar, they cut to a wider view, he steps out of the room and then returns immediately. He never reached up to his collar, yet the bow tie neck strap is under the coat of his shirt.
Continuity mistake: The videotape that Dr. Arrington shoots of Aaron differs from when he is actually talking to her in the scene as she records and when Martin Vail watches it at his home. It is clear that they were, at times, not the same. Example: Dr. Arrington, in the actual scene with Aaron, never asks Aaron what Linda did as work for Bishop Rushman but when Martin watches it at home, she does...a lot of other times too.
