- Continuity: The Driver's Ed car loses a hubcap on the way to the hospital. In subsequent scenes, it has all four hubcaps.
- Anachronisms: Portland did not have traffic diverters until the early 1990s.
- Audio/visual unsynchronized: The trumpet players' fingering doesn't match the notes they're playing.
- Audio/visual unsynchronized: The school band's marching is alternately on and off the beat when the parade begins.
- Anachronisms: Mr. Holland assembles a 1990s crib in the 1970s.
- Continuity: After learning the Hollands will move to a house, Iris hugs Glenn with a sheet of music in her hand, and the sheet ends up behind his head. In the next shot, the sheet is in the middle of his back.
- Factual errors: Ray Charles' "I've Got A Woman" was released by Atlantic Records.
- Anachronisms: During the 1964-1965 school year, Mr. Holland helps his class appreciate Bach by showing the connection between a Bach composition and "A Lover's Concerto" by the Toys. The record came out in fall 1965, during the next school year.
- Crew or equipment visible: After Mr. Holland discusses Beethoven with his students, the camera pans over to the record player. The camera is reflected in the shiny surface of the record.
- Anachronisms: If Mr. Holland is 60 in 1995, he would be 30 in 1965, when he tells Iris how he fell in love with John Coltrane's music in 1950, when he was 15. Coltrane's first session as a leader was on 31 May 1957, so he couldn't have had a John Coltrane record then.
- Continuity: As Iris prepares to speak to the crowd before the final performance, a sign-language interpreter behind her moves into position twice.
- Continuity: During the final performance, a close-up of Iris shows her preparing to take a snapshot. In the next wide shot of the crowd, Iris is seen with her hands down.
- Audio/visual unsynchronized: Mr. Holland's piano-playing does not matching the audio track in several places.
- Continuity: The writing of Mr. Holland's name on the blackboard
- Anachronisms: In the beginning, which is supposedly 1964, Vice Principal Wolters mentions Ralph Nader's book on cars, which wasn't released until 1965, a year later.
- Anachronisms: The type of school lockers shown in 1964 were not available until at least the late-1960s.
- Anachronisms: The skateboard used during the scene displaying the 1980 banner was a "new school" model, which was not produced until the late '80s or early '90s.
- Factual errors: After finding out his son is deaf, Mr. Holland teaches his class about Beethoven's deafness while writing his seventh symphony. Beethoven lost his hearing gradually. He wasn't completely deaf until he wrote his ninth symphony.
- Continuity: Shortly after Mr. Holland's son opens a window, causing papers to fly all over the room, a medium shot shows a young man sitting in a chair. He stands up. When the camera cuts to a long shot, he's back in the chair, and stands up again.
>>> WARNING: Here Be Spoilers <<<
Goofs below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.
- Factual errors: SPOILER: In several scenes, Mr. Holland conducts with his baton in his left hand. Traditional conductors always conduct with their batons in their right hand, even if they're left-handed, due to centuries of tradition. It's the same reason left-handed violinists don't hold the bow in their left hand.
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