Continuity mistake: In the first scene the uncles fly their airplane under a bridge past a police car that's doing speed checks. While they do so we see the police officer wake up twice. (00:01:00)
Continuity mistake: When Walter and his mom arrive at the uncle's house, he pulls one foot back into the car and then leaps back to avoid the dogs. The camera pans back and both feet are still on the ground. (00:04:20)
Continuity mistake: As Walter and Mae arrive at the Uncle's house, Mae gets out of the car and fixes her make up. In the wide shot she does not have her parasol in her hand. The close up shows her parasol in her hand. (00:04:40)
Continuity mistake: Before Walter's mother drives off she asks Walter to give her a big smile. While he is trying very hard the camera cuts back and forth between him and his mom. When the camera is on him a rather strong wind moves his collar and his hair, and when it's on her there's no wind at all. (00:06:45)
Continuity mistake: When Mae drives off leaving Walter. He is standing with his suitcase on the right side of the road. Camera cuts to the dogs chasing after the car, and when it cuts back to Walter he is standing on the left side of the road. (00:07:20)
Continuity mistake: When the first salesman holds up some papers they get shot out of his hand. They get blown into confetti (rather strange result of a gunshot, though), but when the salesman is gone the papers are lying on the ground intact. (00:08:40)
Continuity mistake: When Walter goes to bed in the tower room the light that appears through the windows is much too bright for the little petroleum lamp he was carrying. (00:10:30)
Continuity mistake: Walter unlocks the chest and pushes the chain on the lid to the side. When the camera angle changes the chain is pointing towards him. (00:12:10)
Continuity mistake: When Walter opens the chest its contents are covered by a smooth layer of sand. When he reaches in in the next shot there are already tracks made by his fingers. Then he removes the sand from Jasmine's photograph that we can see her face, but in the next shot the face is mostly covered again. (00:12:25)
Continuity mistake: When Walter is viewing Hub's first sleepwalking episode, both he and the dogs are all looking at Hub, but when the camera cuts to the back of Walter and the dogs, the little white dog is suddenly looking toward the boat dock. (00:14:05)
Continuity mistake: The arrangement of eggs and sausages on Walter's plate keeps changing during his first breakfast at his uncles' house. (00:15:00)
Continuity mistake: When the lion cage is standing in the yard, sunlight and shade keeps changing. First the cage is fully in the shade, but when the uncles approach the sun is shining on it. When the cage is open, the light on Garth and on the lion's fur comes from opposite directions. After the cage is closed it's back in the shade again. (00:36:05)
Continuity mistake: When the Acme Animal Movers deliver the lioness, the delivery guy standing on the flatbed has a glove on his right hand when he says, "King of the beasts," but in the overhead shot the right glove is off, then next shot it's back on again. (00:37:00)
Continuity mistake: When loading the Lion Chow, Walter's overall strap on his right shoulder is unhooked. When the shot cuts back, it's hooked. (00:41:00)
Factual error: In the scene where Robert Duvall, Michael Caine and Haley Joel Osment are in a general store/coffee shop and the young punks come in, there is a Coca-Cola machine shown that has the "Wave" logo and a slogan that was used in the 1970s, not in the time period in which the movie took place (1950s/60s). (00:47:20)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Hub fights the young punks, the level of Haley Joel Osments's drink keeps changing. (00:48:55 - 00:50:45)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where the boys tear off the side of the lion's crate, what you see them tear off is much smaller than in the next shot. (00:51:30)
Continuity mistake: When the naughty nephews break open the cage the lion lifts its head to growl at them. When the camera angle changes it's lifting its head again. (00:51:35)
Continuity mistake: When the four punks are sitting in the car outside the McCann compound one of them whines "I wanna go home." While he does that he holds his nose and bends his head back. When the camera changes to a wider angle he does the same move again. (00:52:15)
Continuity mistake: When the airplane delivery man hands the manual to Hub, the piece he was just unloading changes from standing upright to horizontally between shots. (01:04:10)
Answer: An accident. They were inexperienced pilots trying dangerous barnstorming stunts. A fitting end for two adventurers afraid of nothing.
Brian Katcher