Factual error: When the car with the priest and the bishop drive off in 1976, the Massachusetts license plate is 6LW H51 which does not follow the serial patterns from the timeframe. (00:02:15)
Continuity mistake: Michael Keaton is giving the retiring colleague Stewart a bit of a friendly roast. When he says "The corner office is empty", the glasses in his pocket are pointing to the opposite direction than in the rest of the scene. (00:03:30)
Continuity mistake: Mark Ruffalo just hung up the phone and the others are asking him about Cahill's story. The Marshall McLuhan book by him sticks a bit out from the stack at the beginning, but when Michael Keaton arrives, it is within bounds. (00:04:30)
Continuity mistake: At the lunch meeting with Baron reading the Red Sox book, the fork above it is tilted in a different way on the tablecloth. (00:05:45)
Continuity mistake: During their business meeting at the restaurant, Robby says that he's more like a "player-coach" to his team. From that point on you can notice (Keaton's hands were in the way before) that his glass is on the towel in one camera angle and in between his towel and Baron's in the other, switching each time the angles alternate. (00:06:30)
Continuity mistake: Hearing from Walter 'Robby' Robinson at the restaurant that they can take a couple months to come up with a story, Marty Baron stops writing and puts his hand down on the pad. Except, when it switches back to the previous angle, he's still writing. (00:06:45)
Continuity mistake: At the 10:30 meeting, Baron makes his awkward introduction; he says "Hello", and the woman next to him has her hands flat on the desk, he goes on and her palms are raised. (00:08:55)
Continuity mistake: Commenting the lucky putt, Michael Keaton says "I actually had my eyes closed." Rachel McAdams has her hands joined, which become a rather unnatural crossed wrists pose in the next shot. Similar mistake a moment later; cut and her hand from her lap is in writing position on the desk. (00:17:15)
Continuity mistake: In the first interview with Eric Macleish, Rachel McAdams is writing at the top of the notepad ("Why is that?"), the middle, the top again, hand on the pad, hand off the pad, on the pad again. (00:17:45)
Factual error: The 2001 story starts in July but there is a scene in church that has the word Pentecost in it. Pentecost Sunday in 2001 was June 3. (00:27:00)
Continuity mistake: Saviano says that those priests used the collar to "rape kids." He says it and stretches his fingers, which are clutching the box in the next shot. (00:31:50)
Continuity mistake: When Rachel McAdams is interviewing Joe in the coffee shop, she starts off with a couple of lines written on her notepad, then half a page, then back to a few lines, then a full page, etc. It changes in almost every shot. (00:38:40)
Factual error: During the meeting with Baron after identifying the 87 priests, a copy of "Blockbusters and Trade Wars" can be seen over Robbie's shoulder in Baron's office. "Blockbusters and Trade Wars" was published in 2004. (01:11:23)
Factual error: At one point in the movie, some characters are gathered in the break room that has bags of chips. One of these chip bags is a Doritos bag which has the modern logo. This logo was not implemented until 2013.
Revealing mistake: In Garabedien's office, supposedly in Boston, the top shelves are full of the Dominion Law Reports, all Canadian legal cases, with the Canadian publisher's name prominently displayed. Below that is long shelf of environmental law reports, an odd thing in a criminal lawyer's office.
Factual error: Cardinal Law is shown in a business suit with a conspicuous pectoral cross. Catholic bishops wear the cross "out" only for religious ceremonies with full vestments. Day to day the cross is in an inside breast pocket with only the gold chain showing.
Other mistake: When Rezendes is interviewing abuse victim Patrick in Mitchell Garabedian's office, the books on the lower shelf behind Patrick contain reported court cases from California, New York and the Southern Reporter (covering Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana). But the events are unfolding in Boston, Massachusetts. No small law office in Boston would have these volumes in the library, because the cases in them would have no precedent or relevance for Massachusetts law and cases.
Factual error: When a priest is speaking from a pulpit in church there is a sign board behind him indicating the hymns to be sung on Pentecost Sunday. The priest is wearing a green chasuble. On Pentecost Sunday he would be wearing a red chasuble.
