Factual error: When Vince Vaughn is driving to pick up the guy at the motel with the kid in the back, you get a quick glimpse of a road sign. The road number is in a diamond, but Maryland state road numbers are in a square. (00:29:08)
Factual error: During the custody hearing, the Maryland flag in the courtroom is upside down. The rule for a Maryland flag is "black and gold, top of the pole," this flag has the red symbol at the top.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Rick kills Ray and takes him to that warehouse, Rick stabs Ray in the back, yet when Rick carries Ray to the incinerator he is carrying him with Ray's back against his chest, but there is no blood on his clothes.
Continuity mistake: The position of Susan's arms when she is in the interrogation room keeps changing instantly.
Plot hole: In the middle of the film, after the custody hearing, Frank shows up at an event. Danny pretends that Frank dropped his wallet in order to have a brief conversation with his dad. Later, Rick confronts him about what they talked about. What does Rick expect? It's not like Danny will never be allowed to visit his father again. They are going to talk at some point. For Vince to expect that he will never talk to his father again is unrealistic.
Continuity mistake: When Vince Vaughn pulls the ice pick out of Steve Buscemi's back, there's no blood on it.
Continuity mistake: Throughout the movie, the boy goes through a few hairstyles, and he goes back and forth from small and young looking, to taller and more mature looking.
Continuity mistake: When Rick kills Ray it is raining out, but when he pulls into the warehouse his truck is completely dry.
Continuity mistake: When the mother finds her husband cleaning his burn wounds she goes to get her son, which is on the computer in his room. A second later, the boy is back in his room hiding from the husband and the computer is gone.
Plot hole: WARNING-SPOILER! Right after the climax, the paramedics show up to take Vince Vaughn away for being electrocuted and Teri Polo for being thrown against a wall and miscarrying her pregnancy. John Travolta has just been belted over the head with something at his boathouse and left for dead. Then he has the fight with Vince Vaughn where he gets belted in the head again with a paint can, gets kicked while he's down - then gets his head smashed through the passenger window of the SUV! And yet he is fine to drive off happily ever after - no medical attention required whatsoever.
Plot hole: When the police bring the car in for a forensic search after the murder, you see the policeman open the passenger door and he is correctly wearing rubber gloves. However, the policeman driving the car into the garage is not. Surely he should also be wearing gloves and not adding his finger prints all over the car?
Continuity mistake: When Danny looks outside his room after someone tries to open his door, the light is on. He closes the door and then Rick threatens him. When Rick walks outside Danny's room, the light is off.
Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where Vaughn hits Travolta over the head and is sprinkling the gasoline around you see one shot of Travolta on the floor. Just behind him you see someone walk by, you see only a leg with white trousers and brown boots.
Continuity mistake: When Rick, Ray and Danny are out on the sailboat Danny is sitting near the bow trailing his leg in the water. His Dad yells at him and as the shot changes to a more distant view of the sailboat, Danny is nowhere to be seen.
Plot hole: The police don't find any trace of Ray's blood in Frank's car, after Ray was stabbed in the car.
Continuity mistake: After Teri Polo is married to Vince Vaughn (after the ring and the kiss), they hug. You can distinctly see Teri's arms are under Vince's, but in the next shot, from the other side, her arms are over his.
Revealing mistake: When Rick puts Ray on the table at the brick plant, he stands him up and lies him down. Right before he puts him onto the table, Ray lifts his leg up to assist Rick to get him up there.
Plot hole: After the boathouse incident, Frank tries to call and warn his family about Rick. Rick sees Frank's name on the caller ID, indicating his attempt on Frank's life was unsuccessful. Rick then goes into the garage and pulls Susan from the car, stating he just wants to keep Danny as collateral until he is safely out of town. Danny manages to escape. Rick chases the boy. Why? What's the point? All Rick had to do was get in the car and leave. Besides, one would think, taking Danny hostage would only make Frank and the police pursue him more.
Continuity mistake: Rick Barnes sets the boathouse on fire and his right arm catches fire, as he is leaving the burning boathouse he is holding his left arm, when he arrives at home he is holding his right arm.
Revealing mistake: When Rick smashes Frank's head through the car window, he throws him on the ground. When he grabs a hold of him to pick him up, you can see it's not John Travolta.
