Country music singer Ricky Van Shelton, who covers the Elvis song "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" for this film, has a cameo as one of the Flying Elvises in the airplane, as confirmed by Shelton in an interview at the time of the film's release (He did not, however, jump from the plane).
There are several Elvis Presley references throughout the film. Nicolas Cage later married Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis' daughter.
The character Chief Orman was inspired by Marlon Brando. Writer and director Andrew Bergman worked with Brando on Um Novato na Máfia (1990).
Johnny Williams, whose character is named Johnny Sandwich, played a character named Johnny Roastbeef in Goodfellas, and is homage to that film.