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Anachronisms
After Elton has had a row with his mother in the restaurant and goes into the restroom, the washbasin taps are of a modern mixer design, not available in the early 1980s.
When Elton sits at the piano in the rehab centre, he pauses with his hands poised over the keys. His left little finger is above G flat, then in the close-up is above B flat, then in the wider shot is above G flat again - all without him moving his hands. (The song's actual intro is in B flat minor.)
When Bernie and Elton meet for the first time at the cafe, Elton's cup is closer to Bernie. When Bernie sits down and the shot changes, the cup is now closer to Elton.
During the final music number, Elton John's bow tie goes from tucked under his collar when he straightens it to on top of it when he turns around to go to the door.
Near the end of the film, it is implied that the song and music video for, "I'm Still Standing" depicts Elton celebrating having finally become sober and conquering his addictions. But he did not give up alcohol until after filming the music video; in fact, Andy Taylor of Duran Duran recalled getting drunk with Elton John on martinis in Cannes during filming, and throwing a massive all-night party in which Elton's personal assistant's hotel suite was, "leveled." Waking up the next morning, a hungover Elton surveyed the damage and asked, "What happened?" The assistant replied, "You happened!," and Elton gave up alcohol shortly afterwards.
While the film implies that Elton John went to rehab outside of New York City (he storms out of Madison Square Garden and the NYC skyline is visible in the background as he arrives at the treatment center), he was actually treated at Parkside Lutheran Hospital in Chicago, which he has claimed was the only facility able to treat his multiple addictions simultaneously.
The "John" in Elton John is here attributed to John Lennon, rather than Long John Baldry. Most likely not a real goof given it enabled the film to give a little nod to John Lennon, a close friend of Elton's way back when. There would likely have been a lot of additional leg work needed to work Long John Baldry into the narrative, whereas John Lennon needed little more than a photo.
In Dick James's office in the late 1960s, Elton sings the first bar of 'Sad Songs (say so much)' only to be met with James's remark "Too depressing". This song was not actually written by Bernie Taupin until 1983 (and released in 1984). At the same meeting he also sings a portion of 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' (written in 1982 by Taupin and released in 1983). Whilst these are technically anachronisms, the filmmakers have also said this film is not a factually correct biography and that they took some liberties for the sake of the story.
The British call American potato chips CRISPS and American French fries CHIPS. FISH AND CHIPS is fried fish and French fries for example. Why would Gran, a British grandmother give him money for a bag of chips? They don't sell bags of French fries like that in England.
Elton's Gran would have been referring to a bag of chips from a fish and chip shop.
Elton's Gran would have been referring to a bag of chips from a fish and chip shop.
When Elton slams down the phone on his mum, the dial tone is a recent British Telecom one, not the old 33Hz 'purr' that existed in the 1970s.
The Hollywood sign is in pristine condition during the montage showing Elton's arrival to Los Angeles, California, the sign was not refurbished until 1978.
The phone next to the bed at Mama Cass' house is British - a GPO 722, which would not work in the US as among other things, it has the wrong kind of plug.
The logo on the fall board of the Yamaha piano Elton plays at the Royal Academy is from 1987. Yamaha didn't label the fall boards of their pianos with just the word "Yamaha" until 1967.
Elton and Bernie are driven to their gig at the Troubadour - which occurred on 25 August 1970 - in a 1977-1979 Lincoln Continental (identifiable by the tall chrome front grille). As they arrive at the Troubadour, they are passed in the other direction by a dark-colored late-1980's Chevrolet Caprice (identifiable by its flat, flush taillights).