17 Famous Movies That Included Glaring Mistakes

What are some famous movies that included glaring mistakes? Making a movie is quite a lengthy and difficult process. As such, you’ll see the occasional gaffe or mistakes that go unnoticed by production. In many cases, this lasts up until the debut of the film.

Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” was the blockbuster to beat in the early 90s. However, such an influential and popular film included glaring mistakes. Hammond, the owner and financier of the park, starts the film with an affected Scottish accent. For no reason whatsoever, it progresses to a posh English accent by the end of the film.

The Shining

Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is a personal favorite of mine, and is the ultimate Stephen King adaptation. However, it is one a list of films that included glaring mistakes for a reason. There is a lot of noise early in the film about the inclusion of the hedge maze. The first real shot we get of the Overlook Hotel has no hedge maze to be seen, however.

Spider-Man

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a few glaring mistakes in Sam Raimi’s 2002 “Spider-Man.” During the sequence where Peter Parker gets his powers, a lamp shatters and then goes right back in place without a scratch on it when his Aunt May comes to call on him.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This Coen Brothers classic has included some glaring mistakes. While the film is decidedly set in the South during the Great Depression, there is one instance where a viewer spotted a modern exit sign poised above a door during a sequence in a movie theater.

The Dark Knight Rises

The thrilling conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy had to put out all the stops. Interestingly, it is yet another famous movie that included glaring mistakes. During a tense rooftop slugfest, one thug approaches Batman and then promptly falls to the ground without throwing a single punch.

Braveheart

This Mel Gibson historical epic gets a lot wrong when looking at the real events, but it is yet another example of a famous movie that included glaring mistakes. One of the final sequences of the film sees protagonist William Wallace being pelted with fruit on the way to his execution. When his captors stand him up, there isn’t a hint of fruit juice or pulp on him.

The Goonies

Richard Donner’s “The Goonies” is an all-time classic. However, it is yet another example of famous movies that included glaring mistakes. While recounting their adventures at the end of the film to a reporter, the kids mention a fight against an octopus. There is no such sequence in the entire film, as it ended up on the cutting room floor.

American Sniper

Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” is a bit of an odd duck for the director. However, the biggest glaring mistake you can find is when protagonist Chris Kyle is cradling his newborn child. The baby is very clearly a doll, but Bradley Cooper tries to move it subtly with his hands to give the appearance of a real child.

Pretty Woman

Viewers have been tickled by this mistake for ages now. “Pretty Woman” is the film that made Julia Roberts a star. It is also one of many famous films that included glaring mistakes. During a memorable breakfast, Vivian’s choice of pastry switches three times. It goes from a croissant to a pancake, and back to a croissant again.

Titanic

James Cameron’s “Titanic” was the hit film of the 1990s. You couldn’t escape it. While it is another one of the famous movies that included glaring mistakes, this one aided the film. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson flubs a line while offering to sketch Rose. Director James Cameron loved the flub so much that he left it in the final film.

Forrest Gump

“Forrest Gump” helped cement Tom Hanks in the record books for back-to-back Oscar wins. Unfortunately, it’s on a list of famous movies that included glaring mistakes for a good reason. One segment sees our hapless hero idly investing money into a fruit company circa 1975. The main problem here is that Apple didn’t start publicly trading stock until 1980.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino is one of the last true auteurs still working in Hollywood. His last film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” is a loving look at Hollywood in the 1960s. However, there are a few glaring mistakes that stick out. Top of the list goes a visible Starbucks sign when Sharon Tate is going to the movies. At the time the film is set, Starbucks wouldn’t be around for decades in California.

Back to the Future

“Back to the Future” made a household name out of its star Michael J. Fox. Unfortunately, you can pretty much guess why it’s on a list of famous movies that included glaring mistakes. One of my favorite scenes, where Marty is playing the high school dance, sees him busting out guitar moves that are implied to inspire Chuck Berry. That’s well and good, but the guitar Marty is playing wouldn’t be manufactured by Gibson for another four years.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

If there is one group of fans you don’t want to upset, it is Harry Potter fans. The film series is one of the Cinderella stories of the 2000s, catapulting the smash hit books into a multimedia juggernaut. Unfortunately, one glaring mistake viewers noticed was the insistence that Harry has his mother Lily’s eyes. A flashback shows the actress who plays Lily has completely different colors on the irises than star Daniel Radcliffe.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

This is one of my favorites when it comes to famous movies that included glaring mistakes. The original “Star Wars” is a masterclass in indie filmmaking. However, one scene when Luke and the gang are on the Death Star has a cadre of Stormtroopers bursting in after getting past a door. If you watch closely you can see one poor Stormtrooper smack his head on the door as he passes.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

I rank this trilogy as one of my all-time favorites, but even “The Lord of the Rings” has some glaring mistakes. During one sequence you can spot a car and crewman in the periphery of the camera. It might not have been so noticeable on the original standard definition transfers, but you can see it plain as day on Blu-Ray.

Gladiator

Rounding out our list is Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.” Yeah, it comes from the Braveheart school of historical epics when it comes to the factual content. However, one of the biggest glaring mistakes you’ll see comes throughout the chariot race. I doubt Scott intended for an air canister to be seen easily by viewers, but those chariots likely weren’t flipping on their own.

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