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7 Mistakes You Never Noticed in Unforgettable Biopics

Tim Hayne
January 5, 2017 - 1 min read

People make mistakes. And, as it turns out, movies about real people do, too. Just like in this week's "Hidden Figures," biopics and docudramas portray extraordinary people in milestone moments throughout history. Despite their awe-inspiring stories and remarkable performances, these tales are not perfect. Continuity errors? Anachronistic goofs? Yep, they're hard to avoid. From "Braveheart" to "Captain Phillips," here are a few mistakes from your favorite movies about real people. As usual, all photos come courtesy of MovieMistakes.com.

'The Aviator' (2004)

When Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) is test flying the silver monoplane, the close up shot reveals an open cockpit. In the long shot, however, Hughes is piloting the aircraft in a closed cockpit.

'W.' (2008)

When President George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) is praying with Reverend Hudd, Bush has a noticeable streak of blood along his nose. The blood magically disappears and reappears between shots.

'Lincoln' (2012)

As fine a job as Daniel Day-Lewis did portraying the 16th president (he did win the Best Actor Oscar, after all), the filmmakers missed one thing: Abraham Lincoln did not have a pierced ear. In the first scene with Lincoln and his cabinet, Day-Lewis's pierced left ear plays a prominent role.

'127 Hours' (2010)

When Aron, Kristi, and Megan pose for a photo after swimming, both the girls have feathers in their hair. In the next shot, however, Megan's feather has suddenly switched sides.

'Michael Collins' (1996)

When Michael Collins (Liam Neeson) is talking to Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) on the boat, a cigarette magically appears in Boland's mouth between cuts.

'Braveheart' (1995)

When William Wallace (Mel Gibson) runs away from the English, expecting to meet up with his wife, he can be seen holding a sword. In other shots, however, the Scotsman is running empty-handed until he finally stops and throws the sword into the ground.

'Captain Phillips' (2013)

When Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) tells the Naval officers that he's in Seat 15, one of the officers writes "Captain Phillips" on the board and "Seat 15" one row below. In a following scene, "Captain Phillips" is mysteriously now "Capt Phillips" and "Seat 15" is in a different spot.

moviesmovie mistakesbiopics
Tim Hayne
Article by Tim Hayne
Freelance Writer

Tim Hayne is former Executive Editor of Moviefone.

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