Continuity mistake: In the scene where Gilbert and his buddy's are eating in the cafe. The first time you see the undertakers bowl of cereal, it keeps changing from full to empty several times.
Continuity mistake: In the scene were Gilbert and his friends are in the diner and Gilbert is pouring the salt out onto the table look at how much salt is in the bottle just before the shot switches to Gilberts friends and the look at how much salt in the bottle when the shot switches back. In the first shot there is less salt than in the second shot.
Visible crew/equipment: After the funeral, while Gilbert and Mrs. Carver are talking in the store, she says "Everybody thinks I killed him." After she says this, you can see a microphone dip down into view.
Continuity mistake: In the sunset scene, Becky comments on how Gilbert missed the sunset. Then later, stock footage is used to show his house, and we see that the sunset is still going on. Not only that, but Gilbert's house consists of a single building, while this shot shows more than one building.
Continuity mistake: In the scene after the funeral, you see that Juliette Lewis gets groceries and gets a ride from Johnny Depp. They put the groceries in the back of his truck on the right side under a tarp because it's raining. When they get to her camper, the groceries are now on the left side of the truck.
Continuity mistake: At Arnie's party, from outside the house, Mama is seen looking out between two curtains. Later, from inside the house, she is looking out the window while lifting up a window blind.
Revealing mistake: Mama's eyes twitch as Arnie is bouncing up and down on her bed, even though she's supposed to be dead. Later, when the kids are around her in a vigil, she is very obviously breathing.
Revealing mistake: When Gilbert finds Arnie in the bath and takes him out, you can see a towel around Arnie's waist.
Continuity mistake: In the final scene, when you first see Arnie sitting on side of the road his hair appears as it has throughout the movie (long, oily, unkempt). Then he is running down the road towards the motorcade. When he gets to Becky, his hair is cut and well groomed. Also, he appears to be wearing a different shirt. (01:54:00 - 02:00:00)
Factual error: In the grocery store where Gilbert works, loaves of Mrs. Baird's bread are seen on the shelves; Mrs. Baird's is a Texas-based bakery whose products would not be available as far away as Iowa.
Suggested correction: You are right - the product should not be on the shelves of a store in a state that does not receive the product. I was just questioning your assertion that distance from Texas is a determining factor - states further away (e.g, Oregon, California. Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania) do sell Mrs. Baird's bread. I wasn't familiar with this brand, but I found out it is sold locally in Pennsylvania. When I was on-line, I also found out that Allen Baird, 97, recently died of COVID-19.
I'm curious what cities/stores sell Mrs. Baird's breads in PA (or OR, CA, MA).
You can go on-line, like I did. I just did a search for Mrs. Baird's bread, and that website is set up to enable you to look for locations where it is sold - by state and/or zip code.
Sorry... I didn't want to reveal the city I'm in... but I can at least tell you the bread is sold at a Walmart store.
I specifically looked on their website and no PA stores popped up, not even Walmart. Of course, the mistake is still valid since this was 27 years ago and in Iowa.
My point exactly; this mistake merely gave away the fact that this film was made in Texas rather than Iowa where it was set. Since "Errors In Geography" is not a separate category here as it is on IMDb, I submitted it as a factual error; while I'm unaware whether Mrs. Baird's products are available now in Iowa, I know that wasn't the case in the early 90s when this film was made and released.
If it's not incorporated into the plot, generally these mistakes should be considered "revealing" mistakes, it's revealing it's not really filmed where it's set.
I just searched again, and Mrs. Baird's bread is also sold at Target and Sam's Club. I was surprised to see there is a "Bimbo Bakery" less than 12 miles away. I wasn't familiar with this brand, and now I suspect the products were recently made available; I surely would have noticed the products or the bakery before now. If I Google "Where can I buy Mrs. Baird's bread?" a map showing local stores comes up. But if I go to mrsbairds.com and put my zip code under "store locater", "no stores available in this zip code" shows up.
In California, it can be found at any grocery store that sells Bimbo products. Specifically, Ralph's, Albertson's, Von's, Walmart, Smart and Final, Aldi, Superior Grocers and Jon's.
It should be noted that Bimbo Bakeries didn't buy Mrs. Baird's until 1998. But is this because you've bought it in CA or because you used google and have no personal knowledge? My aunt and Grandparents have never heard of Mrs Baird's and they've lived in CA their whole lives.
Revealing mistake: During the rainstorm, after Gilbert delivers Becky and her groceries back to the camper, they are embracing in the rain and hoping that Nana won't get the camper started. You can see sunlight reflecting off the truck, their hair and their shoulders, even though they are standing in a supposed downpour with a completely cloudy sky.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Gilbert is talking to his two friends in the diner about Becky, when Gilbert says "Her car broke down or something," his empty hand is up by his face. In the next shot, his hand is down by his plate and he is holding a fork.
Continuity mistake: When Gilbert is in the grocery store when Juliette Lewis comes in for the first time, Mary Steenbergen is talking to Gilbert through the shelf which is open on both sides. At the end of the scene, Gilbert is standing by the shelves and you can see the shelf is closed.
Visible crew/equipment: When Mama comes out of the police station, a bounce card (light reflector) is visible.
Factual error: At the beginning of the movie, you can see the reflection in the "ENDora OF THE LINE drugs" store window, of a blue and white Manor (Texas) police car as it drives by.
Continuity mistake: When Arnie is playing with the grasshopper in the letter box, the way he grabs the insect changes between a shot and another one.
Continuity mistake: When Gilbert and Amy are unloading the groceries onto the porch, some bags fell over but in the final shot of the scene, all the bags are standing up, even though no-one could've touched them.
Continuity mistake: At Arnie birthday party the mom is inside the home talking to Gilbert. There is a lamp beside the mom on the table every time the camera changes angles the lamp is on and then off at different times.
Continuity mistake: When Mrs. Carver comes to the store to tell Gilbert she is moving, he is ringing up groceries and the register reads $63.69. Right after she asks him what's to become of him, the register is at zero. In the next scene, it is back to $63.69.
