Goofs

The recorded threat was different to the actual threat made to Cady.

In the shot of the Bowdens' Jeep driving away with Cady attached underneath, the car's suspension has been noticeably raised so he can fit under it without scraping the ground. In previous scenes the suspension is at a standard level for this model.

When Lori is in the bar with Cady, she unbuttons her top button on her blouse. In subsequent shots, the button goes from buttoned to unbuttoned without her ever touching it again.

After Max bites Lori's cheek, his mouth is covered with blood, but in the next shot when he swings his fist down to hit her his mouth is clean.

As Cady approaches the dumpster Sam is hiding behind, the metal pipe he is carrying is in his right hand. However, when he stops walking toward the dumpster it's in his left hand. When he finally gives up and turns away it's in his right hand again.

At the end, Sam Bowden says that he had to go to hearings before the American Bar Association as a result of his criminal actions toward Cady. But the ABA is a lobbying group; it doesn't license lawyers, nor does it have the authority to disbar them. Bowden would have had to go before the Georgia Bar Association, given that the crime occurred in that state.

Max sits in a convertible talking to Sam who is standing on the sidewalk. Max's watch alarm chimes yet he is wearing an analog watch.

After Max assaults Lori, a point is made that no charges can be filed because Lori refuses to testify. However, the extremely violent nature of the assault would've left enough of Cady's DNA on Lori's body, as well as his unique bite mark on her face. This evidence would've been enough to convict Cady without her testimony.

Convict him of what? Biting?

Even prior to 1991, bite marks were admissible in violent crimes, effectively placing defendants at the scene of crimes. This was one of the primary pieces of evidence used against Ted Bundy prior to this, and certainly could've been used against Max Cady.

Stalking laws were introduced in 1990, yet Sam never even thought to research or implement them.

Max Cady's tape recording of Sam's threat are not legal evidence in a court of law in the United States, especially when all parties are not notified in advance. Thus, there is no way Max could get a protection order against Sam.

Dani removes her retainer while on the phone with Cady, but it reappears and disappears again between shots before she finally puts it back in when she hangs up.

Maybe it was uncomfortable, or maybe she thought it affected her voice. It isn't disappearing and reappearing if she removes it herself.

When Lori meets Max in the bar, he doesn't understand her when she says "debauchery." Lori says, "Debauchery - it's a 3-syllable word." It's a 4-syllable word.

Lori is drunk, slurring her words and joking around, which is why the word, which is normally four syllables, sounds like three - "de-botch-ree."

When Sam throws the anchor in the water it's attached to an iron chain. Minutes later the anchor is only attached to rope, and Max is able to cut it loose with a knife.

That's the usual setup for an anchor line. The anchor is attached to a chain to keep the flukes on the bottom for holding power and a rope from the other end of the chain to the boat.

Cady asks Bowden to recite Canon Seven of the ABA Model Code. The Model Code was abandoned in 1983 and replaced with the Modern Rules of Professional Conduct, which has no canons.

As Cady had been in prison for 14 years, the earlier Model Code would still have been in place when Bowden represented him.

Max Cady tapes Sam's threat to do the "hospital job," and then uses that tape recording in court to get a restraining order against Sam. Although Sam admitted making the threats, no tape recording in any state in any court of law is admissible as evidence.

It doesn't need to be admissible as evidence. It just needs to be convincing enough to persuade the judge to issue the restraining order.

When Cady is kissing Danielle, he leans to the right. When the camera switches, showing the back of Danielle's head, now Cady is leaning to the left. This sequence happens again when the camera switches back to its original angle.

At the parade, Dani talks to her father but her lips are not moving.

When Danielle runs to her room as her parents are fighting, the 'music channel' the TV is turned to is playing the video for Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing", but the music that's heard is "Patience" by Guns N' Roses.

When Sam Bowden and his associate Tom Broadbent are discussing their next move against Cady at their office, the camera pans, and footsteps and other noises from the camera crew can be heard; there is nobody else in that room who could have made these noises.

When Danielle and Max are talking in the theater, she tells Max that part of her punishment for smoking grass is that she can't drive the Cherokee. Their Jeep is a Grand Wagoneer. In 1977, the Cherokee became a low-end Wagoneer with either two or four doors.

When Kersek is crawling along the floor in the Bowden house following the fishing line that is moving, it can be seen that there are no bullets in the cylinders of his revolver. It perhaps could be that he had only a single bullet in the chamber, but, under the circumstances, it would be more likely that the gun would be fully loaded.

During Sam's hearing for harassment against Max, the Judge mispronounces his (Cady's) last name incorrectly as "Katty".

When Sam Bowden is first confronted by Max in his car, he offers to buy Max off. Max counters Sam's hypothetical $10,000 offer with, "Let's say $50,000--$50,000 into [about] 5,000 days equals $10 per day." He meant to say 5,000 days into $50,000, which would give his daily pay rate. (The first calculation equals 1/10th of a day per dollar).