Goofs for
The Last Castle (2001)

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• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: There is a common misconception that the law requires actors portraying military personnel to wear the uniform improperly (so as to not be "impersonating" military personnel). This is simply not so. 10 U.S.C. 772(f) does authorize the wear of an armed forces uniform by an actor in a theatrical or motion picture production "if that portrayal does not tend to discredit that armed force." SCHACHT v. UNITED STATES was a Supreme Court case in 1970 which found the preceding quote unconstitutional. As such, actors may wear the uniform in a theatrical or motion picture production without fear that it must reflect well on the military. Short version: Any movies which depict improperly worn uniforms can't use this excuse. They just screwed up.
  
  
• Continuity: As General Wheeler and Colonel Winters are talking outside, clouds disappear and reappear in the sky above the prison.
  
  
• Continuity: When Irwin is delivering Aguilar's eulogy, all the men are standing at attention. There is a close-up of Winter through his office window, and you can clearly see the reflection of the men dispersing. In the next shot, they're all still at attention.
  
  

• Errors in geography: The letter the General receives from his daughter has a return address of Ardmore, Oregon (a non-existent town) with the ZIP Code 95386. That ZIP code, however, is in Waterford, California.
  
  
• Continuity: When Aguilar is shot with the rubber slug, the slow motion shot shows him being struck on the right side of his head. However when he is lying on the ground, he is wounded on the left side.
  
  
• Continuity: During the prison uprising when the Colonel is staring out his window, the reflection shows all the inmates standing to attention as opposed to fighting the gaurds
  
  
• Continuity: A few minutes after the office of Col. Winters is set afire and then extinguished by the sprinkler system, Winters examines the damage and there is no smoke or steam rising from the debris.
  
  
• Factual errors: COL Winter repeatedly states that "he" doesn't allow prisoners to salute in "his" prison. In fact, regulations by all branches of the military forbid prisoners from saluting; the prison commander has no say in the matter.
  
  
• Factual errors: It was an error to have Irwin be a 3-star general. 3-star and 4-star generals hold their ranks temporarily, as long as they occupy a 3-star or 4-star position. When they are transferred from one 3- or 4-star position to another, the President must re-nominate them for Senate confirmation. If an officer is relieved (fired) from one of those positions, he reverts to 2-star by operation of law unless awaiting retirement (and then only for 60 days). Irwin was court-martialed, so the Army certainly wouldn't keep him in a 3-star slot. They'd relieve him and he'd go to court-martial as a 2-star. See 10 USC 601.
  
  
• Continuity: When Irwin (Redford) takes off his shirt, revealing his scars, they are small and on the upper half of his back. The next shot showing his back shows the scar running up and down the entire middle of the back
  
  
• Factual errors: Whenever Col. Winters talks on his radio, you can hear a hiss of static after he releases the button (breaking the squelch.) You only hear this when you are receiving a message on any radio, never when you are transmitting.
  
  

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