Factual error: At the end, he says he's a Marine, but wearing an Army Class A uniform with private rank and specialist rank, and a designed suit tie. Nothing about what he said and wearing is in any kind of regulation or right branch.
Character mistake: Nicolas Cage says "first battalion, tenth Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina gunslingers signing out". It was the second Battalion 10th Marines that was called gunslingers, not the first.
Continuity mistake: While listening to news about the hurricane and the disappearance, Fancy looks at Buddy working in the lawn. She spots him from the curtains as he tosses away a broken piece, but in the following close-up he picks up the bloodstained board by stepping over the bit he already tossed aside. (00:15:35)
Factual error: The movie is set in 1988, but the hurricane mentioned ("Jodie") is from 1977. (00:15:20)
Continuity mistake: Walter pushes his wife against the bedpost. They have their verbal sparring, and then he caresses her. Her hair is spread differently, more abundantly, in front of her right shoulder. (00:14:35)
Continuity mistake: Fancy opens the decanter and picks it up with her left hand, the lid in her right. She then pours for her husband with the decanter in her right and the lid in her left. (00:11:40)
Continuity mistake: Fancy does her sexy stroll singing "They Can't Take That Away from Me." She gets to the decanter and with a pop she pulls the lid in a close-up. You can see her motion rattles the leaves of the plant on the table, but in the next shot they are still, as if nothing happened. (00:11:35)
Continuity mistake: Nicolas Cage walks Buddy to the fence. He lights up a huge cigar which he holds in the left hand when he asks "Can you fix it?" and that appears in his right in the shot from the doorway. (00:09:10)
Continuity mistake: Buddy just tried to pull into a Ponzi scheme a guy at the diner's. He sits down and talks to his wife. Notice that before the first cut he switches grip on the stack of papers, but in the reverse shot he's back holding them like at the beginning. (00:06:50)
Factual error: Most of the action is set in 1988. The prologue with the two little girls is set before or during that year, but the girl scouts are selling "Thindulgent Sandwich cookies", by Sheila G, a brand established after 1992. (00:01:55)
