Factual error: The film is set in 1951 but Peter and Adele have their first dance to the tune "Stranger On The Shore" which was first released in 1961.
Factual error: In the very end, when Peter is returning to town, as the train rounds the bend you can see much newer style electrical transformers on the power poles. If you look close you can see a modern style street lamp also.
Factual error: The locomotive used to haul the train that takes Mr. Appleton back to Liberty after facing judgement is an Alco Century series - which weren't around in 1951. Nowadays, the locomotive type is actually semi-vintage, but it is obvious that this particular one has been patched up and modified over the years. It has intercoolers, ditch- lights above the pilot and a blank nose where the lower set of headlights used to be. In 1951, the locomotive would have been a steamer, or an early EMD F3 or Alco PA Diesel streamliner.
Factual error: If you look carefully you will see that all the cars have license plates with 7 characters on the plates. California did not introduce license plates with 7 characters until the early 1980's.
Answer: The father showed a picture of Luke. Peter and Luke were identical twins.
I'm hoping that this answer is implying that Peter and Luke are spitting images, and not actual identical twins, as there is no relation between the two men. Adele had her theories that Peter was not Luke, and Emmett stated that he knew at the reunion party. The town is fooled for a couple of reasons, mainly because he looks just like him. But also because they wanted to believe it was him. The town had suffered a lot of heartbreak after the war, and this was some good news, while it lasted.
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