Continuity mistake: When John drives the woman over the bridge in the cab, just before he stops the car there is a shot of the two occupants and behind the cab the bridge is deserted save for one red van. When the shot changes to an overhead and John stops the cab, the bridge behind them is crowded with traffic and the van is gone. (00:05:40)
Continuity mistake: When Bill Murray's girlfriend is leaving him for good, she puts her left boot on twice. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: When Bill Murray finishes the 5 pushups and wins the bet, in one shot there are 3 singles on his chest, in the next shot there are about 7, then back to 3. (00:11:30)
Continuity mistake: When Harold Ramis pays off his pushup bet with Bill Murray, he throws the dollar bills onto Bill Murray's chest, and they move around and their number changes. (00:14:20)
Other mistake: In the private conversation scene with Bill Murray and "Sarge" in the latrine at basic (Sarge's office) the toilet bowl in the back left corner is installed backwards. (00:43:03 - 00:45:10)
Continuity mistake: When Harold Ramis is fighting Bill Murray to try to keep him from leaving the base, notice when Harold is on top of Bill choking him, there is a duffel bag under Bill's head, and in the cut-aways the bag is a few feet away. (00:47:00 - 00:47:45)
Continuity mistake: When Harold Ramis is fighting Bill Murray to try to keep him from leaving the base, Murray's knit cap moves on and off his head during the scene. (00:47:00 - 00:47:45)
Continuity mistake: During the graduation scene, watch the band director closely when the music stops - you will see that his arms are still moving, as if he's conducting the band. (01:11:00)
Factual error: A couple of issues with military awards as seen in the film: First, Sergeant Hulka is wearing the WWII Victory Medal, which he would not be eligible for according to his self-stated time in service (28 years, making his date of enlistment sometime in the early 1950s since the film is set in the early 1980s). Second, Captain Stillman wears the United Nations Service Medal for Korea, even though he is obviously far too young to have fought in the Korean War. (01:15:43)
Continuity mistake: When they are escaping from the prison camp, they knock over grungy, drab green 55 gal drums, which are nice and shiny inside. (01:37:30)
Factual error: Then, as now, every recruit reporting to boot camp would be tested for illegal drugs, first by a urine test and then by a broad spectrum blood test in the case of a positive result. There is no reason for Elmo to try to hide his stash when the recruits are told they are to be tested - he is going to come up positive anyway. He may as well just say he has changed his mind and walk away. He is entitled to do that any time up to ten days after he signed on, and it happened a lot in real life!
Factual error: Even in the '80s obesity was a strict disqualification for military service. John Candy wouldn't have had a chance of passing the required medical.
Factual error: When the guys get their haircuts, Ox's and Cruiser's haircuts are the only ones that even come close to basic training regulation.
Factual error: After Sergeant Hulka escapes from the Czech border crossing, he puts out a distress call on the radio that is heard by the protagonists. In it, he says he is with the "41st Armored Division, Bravo Company," which is good enough for the heroes to identify him. But divisions are divided into brigades, which are divided into battalions, which are then divided into companies, so in the "41st Armored Division" there would be literally dozens of companies (or, more likely, "troops, " since it is an armor formation) designated "Bravo."
Factual error: When the men are practicing for graduation they are using M1 rifles. The army had already switched to the M16 long before the 80s.
Factual error: Basic training platoons are assigned two or three drill sergeants. An injury to one drill instructor does not mean the platoon would finish training on its own.
Revealing mistake: When Bill Murray is blowing up the prison door, you see the explosion, but the explosive is still intact.
Continuity mistake: During the graduation scene, after the platoon arrives in front of the General's stand, Bill Murray begins running backwards. The shot changes to the girls in the stands laughing, and then back to the platoon. When it gets back to the platoon, you can see that Murray is once again just starting to run backwards.
Continuity mistake: When the platoon is escaping in the EM50, Sarge is on top and says, "I'm getting too old for this #%&*," he then lowers his head. The next shot, he lowers it again.
Continuity mistake: At the bus station, both MPs are wearing Specialist-5 rank on their uniforms. Later in the movie they seem to have been demoted to Specialist-4.
Suggested correction: Those drug tests didn't exist in 81.
Did you watch the film? The recruits are told they are about to take a broad spectrum drug test - not they are going to be searched for drugs, they are going to tested for the presence of illegal drugs in their systems. As has been pointed out such drug tests were mandatory at the time the film is set but that is not important - in the context of the film Elmo's action make no sense as he is going to be tested for drugs. Hiding his stash makes no sense at all as it will not solve his immediate problem. The posting is correct and the correction is nonsensical.
Drug testing of recruits commenced in the United States on a trial basis in 1975 and became compulsory in 1977. In 1981 every single volunteer would have to take a broad spectrum drug test before being allowed to start boot camp.
What specific drug tests didn't exist? Nixon directed a military drug urinalysis program in 1971 and the DoD started random drug testing in 1974 (not that testing deterred drug use).
Bishop73
I enlisted in 1982. I got a single drug test at the meps and didn't get tested again during an entire 3 year enlistment. In fact, I didn't receive a drug test until 2 years into my second enlistment. The military just wasn't as strict on drug testing.
ssgemt