Continuity mistake: During the Bronco-following scenes, the silver Cadillac goes back and forth between having (during interior shots) and not having an antenna on the fender on Richie's side of the Cadillac. This is because the interior scenes were filmed using a Ford Torino, not the Cadillac. (01:00:45)
Factual error: At the start of the movie, as Bumpy and Frank enter an electronics store, Bumpy mentions Toshiba products. However, the company was, in 1969, named Tokyo Shibaura, and the name wasn't changed to Toshiba until 1978.
Factual error: As Crowe follows the man with the money bag, they cross a street and we see a white Dodge van of mid-1990s vintage parked at the curb. Note the wrap-around tail lights and the high-mounted center brake light above the rear window - a feature not on vans until after 1990. (01:01:45)
Continuity mistake: In the first minute of movie beginning, the man on the chair has blood on his clothes, then when Denzel Washington wanted to burn him the blood has gone.
Continuity mistake: As Richie and his partner watch the red Bronco leave the car wash, we see that the driver's door window is about one-third up from the bottom. But as the Cadillac starts moving, the window is fully open. (01:00:40)
Factual error: Protesters can be seen and heard on the TV, chanting, "LBJ, how many kids did you kill today." Since the film's time frame is in the 70s, as evidenced by all the 70s cars, LBJ hadn't been the focus of the war protesters for years. (00:37:30)
Factual error: During the 1970 portion of the film, Crowe follows a guy driving a Ford Bronco. As they make a left turn, a 1973 or later Chevy Monte Carlo is parked at the curb. (01:01:40)
Continuity mistake: In the final scene where Frank Lucas is released, an extra comes into the shot from the right while the gate behind him is opening. Then it goes to a wide shot and the same extra walks into the frame from the right again as the gate is closing.
Factual error: When Frank puts coins in the pay phone, a blue label states it is a NYNEX phone. It is 1970, yet NYNEX wasn't formed until 1984. (00:20:45)
Visible crew/equipment: About an hour and 12 minutes into the film, Russell Crowe is chasing the guy in the Bronco. After he gets to where he is going, he stops by the window of a building and watches some men enter. The camera changes to his point of view and pans to the left. As it is doing so, its reflection becomes visible in the glass. (01:12:30)
Continuity mistake: Near the end of the movie, when Richie stops by Joey Sadano's house for the last time, he exits the car with snowflakes flying. He even shivers and warms himself walking up to the house. Inside the house the snowflakes are still flying outside Joey's back window, yet the entire backdrop shows a lush landscape full of green trees in mid-summer glory.
Factual error: In law school, Richie Roberts is asked to take the prosecution's side on US vs Mead. The actual case, United States v. Mead Corp. was not argued in the Supreme Court until November 2000.
Revealing mistake: When the cops bust the lab where the dope is cut they push a big man in a white T-shirt. The blood pack on his back is very noticeable.
Continuity mistake: When Bumpy enters the shop the amount of people outside changes at least three times.
Revealing mistake: When the man is set afire he is very obviously covered in fireproof gel.
Factual error: Early the movie, the maroon 1972 Monte Carlo at the intersection in the background is sporting wheels from a 1984 IROC Camaro Z28.
Factual error: When Ritchie was following the driver with $20k into NYC, the scene shows the GWB entrance heading to NJ.
Revealing mistake: When Frank and his wife Eva step out of the chapel after getting married, it cuts to a crowd of photographers. In the background, several modern minivans drive by, including a white one with AVIS written on it.
Factual error: The movie takes place in the late 1960s/early 1970s, but during Richie's pursuit of the Bronco, trains of R142 subway cars, not introduced until 2000, can be seen in the background. (01:11:15)
Factual error: In the scene where Frank Lucas drives to meet Nicky Barnes, a 2002 Lincoln town car as well as an NYPD traffic cop redirecting traffic are visible. (01:44:25 - 01:45:00)
Answer: The expensive and flashy fur coat (150,000 dollars) makes him extremely noticeable to police. Before the fight, he has been under the radar, but believes the gaudy clothes have given him away as a person with too much money, which gets the police to investigate him.