Details in Movies That Hollywood Directors Didn’t Pay Attention to
We should all agree by now that good ol’ Hollywood is the number one movie industry in the entire world. Hollywood not only gives us great actors but also some masterpiece movies, impeccable from all points of view. The acting, the costumes, the decor, and even the background music, they all seem to mix perfectly in most of the American movies. Despite this, some great pieces have details that don’t correspond with the time the movie was set in.
Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, and Garry Marshall- all these great directors found themselves, at least once in their careers, in the situation where their movies were not accurate from either the costume’s point of view, the decor or even the actors. Making mistakes is only human, and lucky for them, only a critical eye that sees details can find the small discrepancies. Here are some of the greatest Hollywood movies that you may have seen that lack accuracy in one way or another.
Troy
Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, the successful movie was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and was released in 2004. Famous actors such as Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, and Diane Kruger joined the production. The movie’s costs were roughly 185 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive movies produced in world wide modern cinema.
Generally,, the costumes and the decor of the film are specific to the antique Greek, but the director and his crew might have missed out on a detail. During one of the scenes, you can see Paris (played by Orlando Bloom) riding a carriage while underneath a very pink parasol. Nothing unusual, right? Well, the umbrella shown in the movie was invented only in the 18th century.
Singing in The Rain
The romantic musical was released on March 27, 1954, and Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly directed it. The film had a 2,5 million dollars budget and collected about 7 million. Needless to say that the actors, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds did an amazing job.
The movie was well-received by the critics and the public, but at a very close look, one might notice a small costume design mistake. The production team had overlooked a detail: Debbie Reynold’s dress. While the movie was set in the ’20s, her over the knee dress definitely belonged to a different era.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Written by Lawrence Kasdan and by Steven Spielberg, the movie was released in 1981. It stars Harrison Ford in the main role and also Karen Allen and Paul Freeman. The movie had a budget of 20 million dollars and collected almost 19 times more than that.
While everything was just perfect in the movie, from costumes to decor, there was still one detail that you might not have seen because it was in the background and lasted less than 2 seconds. One of the background actors, or “extras,” was wearing jeans. This would have been fine for a movie set in 1981, but it’s definitely a “No” for one, which was supposedly taking place in 1936.
Amadeus
Milos Forman directed the masterpiece, and it was released in 1984. As the name indicates, it portrays the life of the great Austrian music composer, played by Tom Hulce. The movie had a budget of 18 million and managed to bring in about 90 million dollars from all the screenings around the world.
It’s obvious that the director did not fully respect some aspects of the late 18th century time. While some were really visible, some needed a bit of a detailed look to be noticed. One of these details that the team might have slipped is: the zipper. There is a scene in the movie when a group of dancers is wearing dresses that had zippers. Zippers only appeared on the market in the 19th century.
Braveheart
Braveheart was released in 1995 and Mel Gibson directed it. The actor not only directed but starred in the leading role of the Scottish knight William Wallace. Other actors that appeared in the movie were Sophie Marceau and Sophie McGoohan.
The movie was well-received by the public, the money it made (200 million dollars) being good proof to sustain the affirmation. While everything was on point, one detail was definitely not taken into consideration: the kilts. The traditional Scottish piece was introduced in 1720 while the action of the movie takes place in the 13th century.
Captain America: The First Avenger
The superhero movie released in 2011 was directed by Joe Johnson. The movie had a very great response from both critics and the public, earning numerous nominations and winning several awards. The movie was a box office hit, bringing 380 million dollars to the box office.
While everybody was happy with the actors’ performance (Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Tomme Lee Jones) and the special effects, there was one thing that the producers omitted. One actor was wearing an earpiece that clearly did not exist during WWII.
Gangs of New York
In 2002, the director Martin Scorsese managed to bring to life Herbet Ashby’s novel The Gangs of New York. The film, which had a budget of 100 million dollars, was a box office hit. Not only did the public received it well, but it got nominated for several awards and won two Golden Globes.
While everything was just true to the time, there was one detail in the movie that probably not many of you saw. During the brawl scene, the firemen are wearing costumes that are nothing like those that they used to wear in 1863.
Pride and Prejudice
Based on Jane Austen’s novel that bears the same name, the film was released in 2005. Joe Wright, the director, gathered great names such as Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfayden, Brenda Blethyn to star in this screen adaptation. The final piece was a success, earning 121 million dollars at the box office.
The events of the movie/ novel are set in the 18th century, and even though most of the time, details were respected, there is something small that was overlooked. At one point, there is a scene where Lizzie’s boots are visible. Well, those rubber boots only hit the market in the mid 19th century.
Pulp Fiction
The box office hit was released in 1994 and was directed by Quentin Tarantino. The feedback received from film lovers was amazing, and the movie got numerous nominations and awards, such as Academy Awards and from BAFTA. Considered to be one of the best Tarantino masterpieces, the movie had some details that were overlooked by the production team.
The story, the actors, the action- everything was on point but not perfect. Some critic film watchers discovered that in the scene of the shootout there can be seen bullet holes in the wall, this before the shooting itself started.
Titanic
James Cameron is responsible for the epic movie that made most of us cry out loud. The movie was released in 1997, and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio played the main characters. The masterpiece was a true hit at the box office, earning no less than 200 billion dollars.
Everything about the movie was just perfect. The costumes, special effects, the story itself, but we can not say the same about the makeup. The make-up team messed up when it comes to Rose’s makeup. The beauty spot is in some scenes on the right side and in other scenes on the left side.
Glory
Edward Zwick, the director of the war-drama movie, did a pretty good job with this one. The movie’s action is set during the American Civil War, and it’s focused on the destiny of the members of the first African-American regiment.
Actors like Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Mathew Broderick took part in creating this masterpiece that brought in 27 million dollars in profits. When it comes to the costumes and decor, everything in the movie is just right for the mid 19th century, except for one thing. At one point, you can see that one of the extras was wearing a digital watch that most certainly wasn’t available at the time.
There Will Be Blood
With a 92% out of 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s only fair to say that the director Paul T. Anderson, nailed it. The movie was released in 2007 and brought in good feedback from the critics and 76.2 million dollars in earnings.
With such a good score, it’s hard to find something that was off in this movie. Well, out there, some people examine every scene in minute detail. This is how it was discovered that Daniel Plainview’s shoe soles were from a different era, more exactly in 1970, and Bill Bowerman invented them.
The Notebook
Based on Nicholas Spark’s novel with the same name, the movie The Notebook was released in 2004. The romantic-drama was directed by Nick Cassavetes and it starred Ryan Gossling and Rachel McAdams in the leading roles. Even though the audience’s reviews were mixed, the movie performed pretty well at the box office, making around 116 million dollars.
As the other movies presented, The Notebook too has its little faults, one of them being Lon Hammond’s hair. Not many might have noticed, and we can not blame you -the love story between Noah and Allie is too much to bear- but Hammond’s hair has this special power of changing color from scene to scene.
Saving Private Ryan
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie is set during WWII; more exactly, it follows Normandy’s invasion by the American troops. The graphic portrait of the war and the intensity of the scenes brought this movie 5 Academy Awards.
When it comes to the mistakes made by the production, this one is hard to see. The costumes of the soldiers look indeed old, but what about their boots? In the first half of the 20th century, the American troops had brown boots, not black, as portrayed in the movie.
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade
Part of a vast action franchise, The Last Crusade, appeared in 1989 and it was directed by Steven Spielberg. The film brought the team an Academy Award and numerous nominations. The public gave it good feedback too, considering the fact that the movie was made on a budget.
While the film generally respects the costumes, makeup, hair, and decor of the era, there is one thing that is off. The nazis’ costumes are pretty accurate, except for one thing: the medals pinned on their chests. Those medals were surely supposed to be there only after the war, not during it.
Back to the Future
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the Sci-Fi movie was released in 1985, and it stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Leah Johnson. The movie was very well received by the public, who helped the box office hit around 388 million dollars. Pretty crazy considering the budget was only 19 million.
Despite the nominations and the important awards the movie won ( Academy Award, Saturn Award etc.) there is something that put off some music lovers. The guitar that the main character played in the movie was not even on the market in 1953.
Pretty Woman
The movie that made Julia Roberts famous was written by Johnathan F. Lawton, directed by Garry Marshall, and was released 1990. Pretty Woman brought “home” a Golden Globe, numerous nominations and also, 463 million dollars at the box office.
Even though it was meant to be a cautionary tale about the dark side of prostitution, the production team decided to switch it up a bit. They created a romantic comedy out of the subject, but there is one thing that they missed. Were Julia Robert’s “girls” meant to be seen so clearly?
Forest Gump
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film that came out in 1994 is based on the same name written by Winston Groom. The movie has Tom Hanks in its leading role, and the movie proved to be a cinematic masterpiece full of symbolism and history.
Most of us loved every second of this movie without considering the small mistakes sprinkled through it. But a few people didn’t, and they made them visible for the rest of us. One of these mistakes was shown in the scene where Gump meets his son for the first time: the iron that stays upright in one scene and laid flat in another
I Dream of Jeanie
Inspired by the life of singer Stephen Foster, the musical TV show was released in 1952. Directed by Allan Dwan, I Dream of Jeanie had in its leading roles, Bill Shirley and Barbara Eden. Mistakes often happen when you work in a team, and the TV show was no exception.
In the 5th season of the show, more exactly in the episode “My sister, the homemaker,” Barbara Eden had to play two roles: Jeanie and her evil sister. For this, the production used a stand-in actor, whose face was not supposed to be seen, but it was.
The Ten Commandments
Based on Dorothy Clark’s novel Prince of Egypt, the historical drama was released in 1956. The director, Cecil b. DeMille brought together actors like: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and Anne Baxter. Made with a 13 million dollar budget, the movie brought back 122 million. Not necessary to say that the public received it pretty well.
The mistake noticed by some vigilant watchers is again connected to the costumes worn by the actors. And there is one that sparked the general public’s curiosity: How was it even possible for Nefertiti to acquire the blue color of her dress?
Pearl Habrour
Here we go again, another war movie with some overlooked details. Pearl Harbor was directed by Michael Bay, and it was released in 2001. The movie was ranked as the 6th highest-grossing movie in 2001 at the box office. From all the screenings around the world, the movie made a total of 449 milliom dollars.
According to many critics, the film had plenty of discrepancies regarding the historical timeline, but one was pretty obvious. In 1941 women were pressed by society to respect some behavior, dressing, and make-up norms. The girls who appear in one scene of the movie sporting bare legs (no stockings) were just a big “No” for the time.
Gladiator
Gladiator was released in 2000. Ridley Scott directed the movie, and it starred actors like Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen. The public well received the British-American production, and the movie brought “home” a total of 460 million and numerous nominations and awards.
While everything was just on point, from the fighting scenes to the decor and even the costumes, there is one thing that we assume was improvisation and not meant to be captured on film- Why does the character played by Russell Crowe wear lycra shorts in a movie set in 180 A.D?
Seabiscuit
Gary Ross directed the 2003 sports film, and it was inspired by the novel with the same name, written by Laura Hillenbrand. Directed by Garry Ross, the movie starred Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper, and Elizabeth Banks in its leading roles.
While the movie received good reviews from the public and from the critics, some of them discovered something. The cute helmets the jockeys were wearing during the race did not exist during the time of The Great Depression.
Hello, Dolly!
The musical was released in 1969, and it was based on the Broadway production that bears the same name. Directed by Gene Kelly, the musical master producer, the movie stars Barbara Streisand, Richard Crawford, and Walter Matthau. Fair to say that Hello, Dolly! was a success, the movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards. From these nominations, it took home 3 awards.
In one of the scenes where Crawford dances with a woman, you can see that the bottom of her dress is visibly dirty. Well, probably the production team saw it too because in the very next scene, the dress is as clean as it can be.
Unforgiven
The 1992 American Western was directed by Clint Eastwood, who not only directed it but appeared in it too. Despite the low budget, the movie received good reviews, earning a score of 96/100 on rotten Tomatoes. Also, Unforgiven received 9 Academy Award nominations and won 4 awards.
While most of us think of the movie as being perfect from every point of view, there are still some people that are hard to please. These people observed that, in one of the scenes the character of Bill Dagget is wearing pants that have belt loopholes. Who knew that loopholes had not yet been invented in 1881.
Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino directed the sensational 2012 movie. As with any piece directed by him, it came out a masterpiece, and the awards it won are proof of that. The movie won two Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 BAFTA Awards.
While the movie pleased the eyes of many watchers, some of them were really triggered by one small detail that the production team overlooked. In one of the scenes, Django, played by Jamie Foxx, wears a pair of sunglasses that were not yet invented back in 1858.
The Doors
The biographical film was released in 1991, and it was directed by Oliver Stone. The movie follows the story of the 60’s band that bears the same name. The public had mixed feelings about this production, and the box office can prove it, with the movie earning only 30 million dollars.
Being an autobiography, everybody expected everything to be accurate and to respect the story, the 60’s decor, and fashion. Well, the costume team didn’t realize that the Ray-Bans Jim Morris is wearing in one of the scenes is way ahead of his time. Jim Morrison died in 1971, while the first pair of these Ray-Bans appeared only about 10 years later.
Sense and Sensibility
The British-American drama was first shown to the public in 1995.The movie was directed by Taiwanese director, Ang Lee, and it was inspired by Jane Austen’s novel. The story and the highly skilled actors made the public give it a 96 out of 100 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While the movie was generally praised for being accurate from a historical point of view, there are some details that might have slipped. One of them is visible in one scene where a baby is presented. While the baby is all swaddled up in cloth specific to the era, a very modern-day diaper is visible. The diapers we know today were invented only in the 1940s.
The Last Samurai
Inspired by the novel with the same name, written by Helen DeWitt, the movie was a real success. Directed by Edward Zwick, the 2003 movie has in its leading roles actors like Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, and Ken Watanabe.
The movie received a lot of criticism, especially from the Japanese community in America. Described as racist and naïve, the movie was also considered inaccurate from a historical point of view. One of the things that was a total “put off” for the audience was the samurai costumes which were more specific to the 16th century rather than to the 19th when the film is set.
Robin Hood
The Robin Hood franchise is something that a film lover can not miss. One of the movies from this series that really shook the box office was Prince of Thieves. The movie was released in 1991 and it was directed by Kevin Reynolds.
The production team of this movie omitted a detail that left the viewers a bit confused. At one point, there is a scene in which Robin Hood’s partner sees a telescope for the first time and is really fascinated with it. Who wouldn’t be, right? Bear in mind that the first telescope was invented in the 18th century, while the movie is set in the 12th century.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Also part of a franchise, the movie appeared in 1997 and it was directed by Jim Gillespie. Considering the fact that their budget was only 17 million, while they gained 129 million dollars, it’s fair to say that the movie was a hit with audiences.
This movie was not free from wardrobe malfunctions either. One of them happens in the scene where Helen (played by Michelle Gellar) is desperately climbing a rope while wearing a dress. In the scene, the cameraman got a bit distracted because there is a full view of what was supposed to be private.
The Terminator
The Terminator is an American franchise directed by James Cameron, and it first debuted in 1984. The production has Arnold Schwarzenegger in its leading role, and it’s fair to say that the role of the terminator was the actor’s ticket to fame.
What made this movie memorable? Well, the ladies will definitely respond that it was the scene in which Arnie was filmed naked. Even if in the 80’s the quality of the movie was not that great, so details of Schwarzy were not visible, the blue-ray version shows more than all of us can bear.
Closer
The movie appeared in 2004, and it was based on the novel “Closer” by Patrick Marber. Closer was directed by Mike Nichols and it had an amazing starring in it: Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, and Jude Law. The movie has a total score of 65/100 on Metacritic, which makes it; let’s say, a bit better than “average.”
Like the other movies presented, this too has something that’s just off for some of the watchers. The character or Alice Ayres (played by Natalie Portman), who is a stripper, also experienced a costume malfunction. Despite the job the character has, she never shows more than just some belly and thighs. The slip happens during a simple conversation when the actress’ bra decides to just give up on her.
Vanilla Sky
The Sci Fi-thriller movie was released in 2001, and it was directed by Cameron Crowe. The movie was blessed with actors like: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, and Jason Lee. Why Blessed? Because their skills were the reason, the movie earned a Golden Globe.
This movie, too, had to go through a costume malfunction, but it is not clear if it passed the final filter intentionally or the production did just not see it. While in bed, Julie’s character (played by Cameron Diaz) is wearing a very sexy nightdress. At one point, the dress’s top falls to the side, and Diaz’s chest is in full sight.
My Girl
My Girl was a coming of age movie released in 1991, and it starred Macaulay Culkin in its leading role. Howard Zieff directed the movie, and despite the small budget of 17 million, the movie hit 121 million in the box office.
There is one important “character” that many did not notice: Vada’s mood ring. While the little object is significant for the storyline, there is something that just doesn’t add up. The movie was set in 1972, and the mood ring first hit the market in 1975.
American Husstle
The 2013 crime film directed by David O. Russell was a box office hit. Bradley Cooper, Christian Bell, and Amy Adams did an incredible job; the movie’s 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the awards it went on to win are a testament to this.
Even though the next costume fail has probably gone unnoticed for most of us, some that have vigilant eyes saw this small detail. This raised one question: if the movie’s action is set in the 1970s, why does the character of Louis C.K wears a Rolex that was released in 2010?
Schindler’s list
The drama movie was released in 1993, and it was based on the real story of Oskar Schindler. Steven Spielberg directed the movie and as anything that comes out of his hands, this movie is considered a masterpiece. The movie was rated with a 9 out of 10 on IMDB.
While everything is accurate from the historical point of view, something doesn’t make sense. The movie follows the life of the Jewish man and woman in the Nazi concentration camps. While the images are very rough to see, it is noticeable that the women there are all shaved. While this was not the norm for European women in the first part of the 20 century, having the luxury to shave in a concentration camp is just not accurate.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, the movie was released in 2008 and was directed by David Fincher. With Brad Pitt in the leading role, the movie was awarded 3 Academy Awards and had 5 Golden Globes nominations.
When it comes to this movie’s most noticeable malfunction, there is one that has to do with sunglasses, again. In one of the scenes that was meant to take place in 1945, Benjamin (played by Brad Pitt) is spotted wearing a pair of sunnies that appeared 7 year later.
Dirty Dancing
This sensation of a movie was released in 1987, and it’s fair to say that made all teenage girls dream about a love like the one portrayed between Baby and Johnny. Dirty Dancing was directed by Emile Ardolino and despite the low budget (5 million), it managed to make 214 million at the box office.
Fair to say, the production team nailed this movie, but the wardrobe team messed up slightly. The character played by Jennifer Grey is wearing, most of the time, clothes that are from the ’80s, even though the movie was set in the ’60s.
Zootopia
Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the 3D animation movie hit the theatres in 2016. The two directors, Byron Howard and Rich Moore, worked with Jennifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, and Shakira, who gave their voices to the animated characters.
From the costume point of view, everything was just right, but there is one mistake that might have slipped during the editing of the animation. There is a scene in which Judy arrives home from work, and she is wearing a pink T-shirt. The next scene shows Judy changing her clothes, but it was cut most likely by mistake. The next scene shows the character wearing different clothes. Lucky for them, this discontinuity is outshined by the cute character. This mistake didn’t seem to disturb the critics; the movie was awarded with an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
