Factual error: While the tidal wave is enveloping Manhattan, there is a scene where Washington Square Park is destroyed. A large arch is hit by the wave before reaching the rest of the park. The problem is the arch is on the UPTOWN side of the park, not the DOWNTOWN side which according to the movie was the direction the wave was coming from.
Deep Impact (1998)
Directed by: Mimi Leder
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, James Cromwell, Vanessa Redgrave, Téa Leoni
Continuity mistake: During a scene where the boss of the TV station is talking to his staff, when he finishes he takes off his glasses and starts to move off his chair. Yet in the next shot he gets off the chair still wearing his glasses. (00:07:30)
Factual error: When Sarah's family is fleeing Richmond, the highway sign says "Interstate 66." That highway is about a hundred miles north of Richmond; it starts in Washington DC. Another highway sign says "Virginia Beach 12 miles", which is the wrong way when fleeing Richmond westward.
Suggested correction: The sign says "Virginia Beaches," not Virginia Beach, so it could be anywhere in Virginia that has beaches.
Living in Virginia, there is no sign that says "Virginia Beaches 12 miles." "Virginia Beach" is a large city at the SE corner of Virginia and is more than 10 miles across. Any sign referencing the actual beach says "oceanfront x miles." Virginia Beach also has the tallest building in Virginia, the Westin hotel in downtown.
Trivia: If you happen to have the DVD version of the film, have a look at one of the trailers. In the movie trailer they show the comet hitting the ocean at an almost right-angle. In the actual movie the comet enters the atmosphere at an angle, thus letting the people watch the comet travel to across the sky into the ocean.
Trivia: When everyone gets out of their cars in the traffic jam and watches the comet pass overhead, they were really looking at a crew helicopter passing over. In post production, the helicopter was covered up with the comet.
Jenny Lerner: When I was 11, I stole $32 from your wallet.
Jason Lerner: When you were a baby I once dropped you on your head.
Alan Rittenhouse: I know you're just a reporter, but you used to be a person, right?
President Beck: We always thought the deadline for public knowledge was the publication of next year's budget since we've spent more money than we can account for. That won't happen for two weeks. I don't suppose I could prevail upon you to wait two weeks in the name of national security?
Jenny Lerner: Two weeks? There's no such thing as two weeks in the news business.
Question: All of the residents of Eastern United States were informed by the president when the smaller of the two meteors were to strike in the Atlantic Ocean, yet, even with ample time to evacuate away from the area of impact, why did it appear the residents all chose to leave on the final day? (Clogged highways and chaos).
Answer: They were trying to send missiles, which failed. The president spoke and that's when people started to leave.
Question: How does the government hear about the comet? The scientist saves the information to a disk then takes the disk in the car with him. He crashes and the car catches fire. The disk would have been destroyed.
Answer: It could have been salvaged and worked on, plus he was calling people in authority. There would have been an investigation into the crash, which leads back the young boy and the comet.
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