Factual error: After Robert De Niro awakens, Robin Williams takes him on a ride around New York and Robert is amazed by all the surroundings. The movie is set in the early 1970s, but you can see plenty of vehicles around from the time that the movie was filmed (1990). Notice the square headlights that originally appeared in the late 70's.
Awakenings (1990)
Directed by: Penny Marshall
Starring: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson
Genres: Drama
Continuity mistake: When Dr. Sayer and the group of patients are in the dance hall, he is sitting at a table with a drink. He picks up a cherry that is lying on a napkin near the drink and eats it. One of the female patients asks him to dance, and as he gets up the cherry has reappeared on the napkin.
Continuity mistake: After Dr. Sayer and Leonard get ice cream and go to Dr. Sayer's home, Leonard is sitting on the couch and on the table in front of him is a plate of saltine crackers. The amount of crackers and the way they are lying on the plate change.
Trivia: During the scene where Robin Williams (the doctor) has to restrain Robert DeNiro (the patient), Robin accidentally broke DeNiro's nose. DeNiro insisted that they continue with the filming until the scene was completed because he knew, from prior experience, that he wouldn't be able to film for at least a week, until the swelling and bruising went down. And DeNiro actually was glad it happened because it corrected the bump from the prior broken nose.
Dr. Sayer: I'm sorry, if you were right, I would agree with you.
Dr. Sayer: Where are my glasses?
Eleanor: They're on your face.
Nurse Beth: Dr. Sayer.
Dr. Sayer: What is it?
Nurse Beth: It's a fucking miracle.
Question: Dr. Sayer turns down the date with the nurse and appears to live alone. Was he a recluse? Socially awkward?
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Sayer suffered from extreme shyness. He later overcame it enough to ask Nurse Costello out for coffee.
raywest ★