Factual error: Near the beginning of the movie, a train passenger asks another passenger if he saw Derek Jeter's home run the previous Saturday during a Yankees game. Since he was injured, Jeter didn't play in the game mentioned. (00:04:10)
Continuity mistake: Near the start of the movie when the office worker/security guard feel the 1st plane hit, the security guard is standing just behind the office worker's left shoulder. When the camera cuts to a side view the security guard is standing slightly in front of the office worker with his hand on the water cooler. (00:08:20)
Continuity mistake: When Allison is in CVS, the purse on her shoulder changes between shots. (01:12:05)
Factual error: Rescuer and US Marine Jason Thomas is an African-American in real life, but was portrayed in the film as a white man. The film's producers realized the mistake only after production began, and apologized to Thomas, whose identity had not been widely known for years after September 11th.
Factual error: On what was supposed to be the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, one of the opening scenes prominently shows a Dodge Durango with a body style not introduced until 2004.
Factual error: One scene where a guy is holding a Bud Light bottle, the bottle has the new clear label, that wasn't around in 2001.
Factual error: In the scene where the dead police officer's pistol starts going off, the gun would not have been able to fire more than once. Recoil operated guns can't function without a certain amount of resistance being applied to the grip. After the first round went off the slide wouldn't have been sent rearward, and the gun would have simply jammed.
Suggested correction: He was carrying a service revolver.
Also, the heat required to cook off rounds would instantly kill people in the same vicinity. You can't be alive around heat cooking off rounds without direct fire.
Revealing mistake: There is a scene just after when John is finally taken out of the rubble and you see the New York skyline with all the smoke in the distance. If you look closely you can see the smoke moving but the water of the river is completely stationary, indicating a still shot.
Factual error: During an establishing shot of New York City, a Honda Element drives through an intersection. This model was introduced in 2003, so it shouldn't be present in 2001.
Factual error: At the end of the movie, in the hospital we see a Sierra Mist can where the other families are waiting. It is true that Sierra Mist was brought out on the market in 2000, however the can has the label of a recent Sierra Mist logo from 2003-2005. The logo used in the 2000-2002 time frame is much different looking.
Continuity mistake: In the school used to receive phone calls, a bald man to the left of the guy holding the phone gives a big puff to his cigar, creating a big cloud of smoke. Right afterwards, in a wider shot, all the smoke is gone.
Continuity mistake: When the Port Authority police are patrolling the bus terminal in the beginning, a girl in a pink shirt holding a man's hand is coming up behind them. When the two men separate the girl and man are now coming from the opposite direction.
Factual error: In the opening sequence of World Trade Center when the police men are beginning to patrol the streets the camera pans around a New York City street and a Charles Schwab ad can be seen with the "Talk to Chuck" slogan. The "Talk to Chuck" campaign was not introduced until September 2005.
Deliberate mistake: At or near the beginning there is a scene with autumn leaves. The colours and amount are just not consistent with the date of September 11. They seem to be about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of schedule.
Factual error: In the movie Cage is leaving for work on the morning of 9/11 and he puts on his Port Authority Police hat. The Port Authority did not come out with these hats until some time after the attacks on 9/11.
Visible crew/equipment: About 20 minutes in, when the group of guys exits the lift and they see the large line of people, a boom mic is reflected in the window of the Crabtree & Evelyn shop.
Continuity mistake: When the cops go outside for the first time; Nicholas Cage is holding the paper for the cops who are going with him, in the next shot it's gone.
Factual error: A NYC subway scene depicts what appears to be either an R-44, or an R-46 series subway car, carrying a red "2" route designation. The 2 is a former Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) line, which is currently designated as the NYC Transit's "A" division, the trains of which are about a foot narrower than those of the "B" division, and the train shown is of the latter division. The former Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (BMT) lines, as well as those of the Independent Subway System (IND), which make up the "B" division, are lettered rather than numbered, and the trains of that division cannot operate on "A" division lines due to their size.
Factual error: When the marine arrives at the scene of the collapse, there is a New York City cop with a white shirt and a silver badge. White shirts are only worn by bosses who would have a gold shield, not police officers.
