Factual error: Billy Bob Thorton wore a uniform with a Louisiana state patch on it. All of the cars have Georgia license plates.
Continuity mistake: Near the beginning of film, Peter Boyle's character opens a newspaper, and on the front page is a story about a death row inmate who is scheduled to die "tonight." However, he does not die "tonight," but rather the following night. On the evening of the day on which the erroneous newspaper headline appears, the prison guards gather at a local bar. The next day, the prisoner is taken to a special cell to await his execution, which occurs TWO nights after the newspaper headline said he was to be executed. (00:08:15)
Continuity mistake: When Billy Bob and Halle are having sex, in one shot her underwear is on and in another shot her knickers are around her thighs/legs. These two shots alternate throughout the sex scene. (01:11:20)
Continuity mistake: The blood stains on Leticia's shirt almost disappear when she finds out that Ty is dead. Similarly, the blood stain on Hank's shirt pocket grows when he talks to the police officer and gets smaller again when he gives Leticia her purse. (00:52:35 - 00:54:45)
Factual error: The movie was filmed in Louisiana, but they try to pass it off as Georgia. The encounters with the prostitute are at 'Sugar Bowl Court Motel' which is an actual motel on Airline Highway right outside New Orleans. Plus why would you name a motel in Georgia after the Sugar Bowl? (00:42:20)
Other mistake: When they are shaving Sean Combs for his execution, the leg that they shave is white. When he stands up afterwards, you can see that his legs are very dark. (00:27:40)
Factual error: There is no way that Billy Bob Thorton would have been able to remove the bullet from the chair after his son's suicide. The bullet would have been removed by the local Medical Examiner to confirm that the cause of death was in fact caused by a bullet being shot from that particular gun. This is one of the standard procedures related to all suicides in the US when a bullet can be retrieved from the scene of death. (00:39:50)
Suggested correction: Hank buried Sonny on his own property and was deeply ashamed of him, it's likely that no police or ambulance attended or it was even reported? The bullet could have stayed there.
Continuity mistake: When Hank Grotowski quits his job he puts down his badge. From the warden's side we can't see it because of some books in the way. The camera goes back and forth from Hank's view to the warden's view a few times. During these switches, when the view is from behind Hank, you see the badge disappear then reappear where he put it. (Not visible on DVD wide screen - the bottom part of the screen is cut off).
Continuity mistake: Buck can hardly move around due to his lung condition. After he insults Leticia and she runs out of the house and drives off he makes it out to porch way too fast. Then, in the next shot, he is seen sitting with his oxygen kit on, which he wasn't wearing before. (01:26:30)
Continuity mistake: When Halle and her son are finishing the visit to Sean, the front shots show a lot of smoke around Halle's head, which disappears in the following back shots.
Continuity mistake: When Peter Boyle is talking to Halle Berry, he asks her for a cigarette, and he smokes it. But there's one shot where you see Boyle's profile in the foreground, and Berry in the background, and he has no cigarette in his mouth. Also, we hear him say something there, but his mouth never moves. (01:25:40)
Continuity mistake: While visiting her husband, Halle extends her right arm to drop the ash on the cigarrette. A frame later, a new angle shows the arm is bent.
Visible crew/equipment: When Hank tells his father that he quit his job a crew member is visible through the window throughout the whole scene. Neither the location of the house nor the plot allow that this is an extra just placed there for no reason. (00:47:05)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the love scene, when Hank lies on the ground and Leticia on top of him, alternating shots are reversed. (01:13:40)
Continuity mistake: When Hank comes home after the disastrous execution he runs up the stairs to Sonny's room. The steps are all dark even though the door is open. When Sonny throws him down the stairs less than a minute later the sun is shining on the lower steps. (00:33:35)
Continuity mistake: When Billy Bob Thornton drives up and talks to the two black children and their father about his son's death, the center of the steering wheel changes from white to black depending on the shot. This occurs several times throughout the movie.
Continuity mistake: When Leticia is seen driving her car from behind, the exhaust pipe is smoking quite severely. When she is seen driving from the front, during the same sequence, there is no smoke at all. (00:13:35)
Continuity mistake: When Hank is taking the ferry across the river to the prison in order to resign, it is raining very hard. However on the other side of the river, on the prison grounds, it is sunny and dusty.
