Continuity mistake: When Hamby is removing the tarp covering the garage entrance (in lieu of a door), Joey and the truck are about flush with the entrance. Then the (parked) truck is sometimes protruding out about two feet and Joey is on the porch. Other times, Joey is leaning against the interior wall of the garage near the entrance. (01:03:38)
Continuity mistake: The string of lights from outside the garage to inside are more or less visible (number of loops and whether they go very far into the garage) and the intensity and size of the lights are inconsistent. (01:03:40)
Continuity mistake: Before the shoot out with police, Hamby's face was not very dirty when he got out of his truck, but it looked much dirtier a minute later. There are additional places near the end when the amount of dirt on his face varies. (01:06:02 - 01:07:00)
Factual error: After Hamby shot the male police officer, the female officer shot at Hamby and Hamby tilted his upper body to the left to avoid being hit by the bullet. Given the speed at which a bullet fires, there's no way Hamby would be able to see it coming at him or be able to dodge a bullet aimed toward him. (01:06:35)
Other mistake: When Hamby was pushing Joey into the hole, he shoved him with his left hand near the middle of Joey's upper chest. Joey was falling backwards, as would be expected, but his feet "somehow" landed on the outer edge of the hole that was about 2' behind him and he "somehow" started falling upright, landing on his feet at the bottom of the hole. The way he was pushed and his proximity to the hole should have resulted in Joey's upper body landing on the opposite of the hole - and not falling in.
Revealing mistake: From above, the hole did not look very large (maybe 3' in diameter); it was about 20' deep. It was obvious various modifications had to be made to film in a way that would enable Hamby to be visible. Sometimes, the "sides" looked flat, not like a tunnel or long tube. In front views of Hamby, the diameter was increased, giving him more room to move. When Joey was talking to Hamby, a shot from Hamby's perspective just showed Joey's face as though it were setting directly on the edge (or grass).
Character mistake: The prescribing doctor or a nurse should have given Matt/Joey's mom instructions on the proper use of an oxygen mask, but she did not demonstrate this. She picked up the mask, put it over her nose/mouth, and immediately inhaled ONCE followed by removing the mask. About a minute later, she repeated these ineffective steps. Instead of inhaling the oxygen, she was most likely simply inhaling "regular air" in the room - she did not keep the mask on long enough to enable release of oxygen.
Factual error: Hamby apparently spent three nights in the hole. There were snow flurries and a coating of snow on the ground each day but it reached 43° F on day 2; overnight temperatures are typically 20-30° colder than daytime temperatures. Joey brought Hamby a sleeping bag the second night. The next day, Joey told Hamby he'd bring him some blankets, and Hamby pointed out that his sleeping bag was "wet already." This prolonged exposure to cold weather was enough to cause hypothermia but Hamby was fine.
Revealing mistake: Initially, the gallon plastic water bottle Joey was bringing to Hamby looked almost full. However, the ease at which he raised it into the air (by his head), "hollow" sound made when Matt took it from him, and the way it tilted to the side when being dropped down the hole are indications that the water (and its weight) had been removed for most of the scene. When Joey dropped a plastic bag containing a bologna sandwich, chips, and a soda pop down the hole, it went straight down without tilting.
Continuity mistake: Running away from the guard after the burglary, Joey and Matt went down a fairly steep hill in the woods. After passing the hole, they walked up a small embankment to go toward home. The next morning, Joey is riding his bike down a steep hill (the one that was before the hole?) - so steep he has to get off his bike and push it. Halfway down, the camera shifts and Joey is suddenly on TOP of a small embankment, which appears to be the one he and Matt walked up the day before on their way home.
Other mistake: Matt told Joey that they could not go back to see if the guard was OK in the hole because as soon as Ms. Dillard gets home she will know she was robbed and will call the police. Joey's act - breaking into a house with the intent to commit theft - is more accurately classified as a burglary, not robbery.
Factual error: The manner in which "Hamby" fell into the hole (or well) did not reflect physics or reality. He was running/chasing Joey and Matt. Whenever one walks or runs, one's feet are never straight down together (like standing), so only one foot could have been over the hole or failed to clear it. Hamby should have tripped and fallen over (face forward) with his upper body landing past the hole. This should have kept him from falling straight down into the hole (as if dropped from above the hole).
Other mistake: In the opening scene where Joey is breaking into Ms. Dillard's house, he quickly smashed a window with his flashlight and immediately crawled through the window - without checking to see if shattered glass fragments were still in or around the frame. Despite his carelessness, he did not even get a cut on his hands or elsewhere, which would be almost impossible under the circumstances.
