Goofs

In the hospital, as Andrew lays on the bed, an oxygen mask is a placed upon his face. The mask's strap is caught under the mask; it's between the face and the mask. Later, the strap appears out from underneath the mask without having been moved.

When the family is sitting around talking after the parents' anniversary dinner, Andy is feeding the baby. The bottle is different from first shot to second.

Andrew Beckett is right-handed. The little boy playing ball in the home movies at the end, who is supposed to be Andrew Beckett, is left-handed.

Andy's tie jumps about in the courtroom when he shows the jury the lesions on his chest.

Joe Miller personally serves the defendants with a summons. Lawyers in Pennsylvania (and many other states) are not allowed to personally serve defendants in cases where they represent the plaintiff.

Andrew Beckett is called as a trial witness late in the plaintiff's case. This is totally incorrect as he would have been called to testify first as the plaintiff. That establishes his case early and also tries to force the defendants to give in and settle.

When Andrew goes to the E.R., the doctor says he's going to order a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is not an emergency room procedure. The colon must be prepped with a laxative-type drink, and 24 to 36 hours of fasting. Also, a specialist would be needed to perform the exam.

When Andy has been taken to the hospital and the doctor tells him that he wants to order a colonoscopy, it is mentioned that it is a painful procedure. A colonoscopy is done while the patient is sedated, so there is no pain experienced during the procedure.

Andrew states that when he got AIDS (1984 or 1985), nobody knew how it was acquired or that it was fatal. Neither part of this is correct. Scientists had isolated and identified the virus in 1983 and news reports discussing AIDS-related deaths had been going on since 1981.

During the opening montage of Philadelphia, the scene is clearly intended to be in the morning as the city awakens for the day, as seen by the various people getting ready for work, going to school, etc. Yet, in the middle of the montage there is suddenly a bustling evening dinner service with a waiter in a tuxedo at an upscale restaurant, before the montage returns to morning city activities again.

Actually, the "intent" is not that clear. It can be interpreted that the montage simply shows a variety of activities. Though there are many morning activities, there also are leisure activities such as eating, playing ball on a field, lying on the ground in a park, dancing on the sidewalk, etc.

The court stenographer doesn't seem to be actually typing, and the paper tape recording her keystrokes doesn't ever advance.

When Jamie is looking for files on Andew's computer at work, the computer, an old IBM PS/2, is switched off (the power switch is down).

When Andy steps out of Joe's office (after Joe's rejection to become Andy's lawyer), he is seen standing and reflecting on his situation. He turns his head to the left, and the lining of a rubber mask can be seen on his neck (used to make Hanks' head look shaved).

A crewman is reflected in the hospital door as Joe Miller opens it, after the trial.

When on the witness stand, Walter Kenton says that in the Navy, he and his fellow Navy men dealt with an unethical Sailor by sticking his head in a latrine after ten of them had used it. "Latrine" is an Army term; the Navy uses the word "head".

When Joe Miller walks out of the pharmacy after his altercation with the gay man, he walks past the cashier without paying for his items.

The firm's defense attorney tries to distinguish how Andy got AIDS (sexual activity) from how other characters contracted it (blood transfusions). However, Andy is arguing that his firing was unlawful discrimination, for which he has legal precedent. The firm is arguing it wasn't about AIDS at all. This line of argument does nothing to prove that it wasn't AIDS discrimination; in fact it helps to make the plaintiff's case.