Visible crew/equipment: When Betsy is having the sheet pulled up over her, the lightning flashes and lights up the visibility. You can see a wire which is being used to guide the sheet.
Factual error: As the film itself notes, the major action starts in spring 1818 and continues for several weeks if not months. However, many of the trees remain leafless and the weather is nothing like the norm in spring and summertime Tennessee.
Continuity mistake: When John Bell has blood coming out of his mouth, his left hand is covered with blood. When the camera shot switches it is his right hand that is covered in blood. Then when the shot switches back to the first angle the left hand is back to being the hand that is covered in blood.
Continuity mistake: Lucy starts running up the stairs and down the hall with a burning candle in a candleholder in her hand. As she starts down the hall, you see that the candle flame is light yellow (typical color for a candle) and is flickering. About halfway down the hall, the candle flame turns blue and burns steady (like a gas flame), then turns back to a light yellow candle flame as she approaches her daughter's room.
Factual error: The current era mother has a photograph of her ancestor Betsy Bell with the professor. In it, the two are the same age as shown in the rest of the film, set in 1817-18. However, photography of the sort shown wasn't possible until the 1840's at least.
Factual error: Porcelain dolls were not in the US in the year 1817.
