Black Hawk Down

• Movie Goof (incorrectly regarded as a mistake): As with any "based on a true story" movie, especially one involving complex military operations, there are many ways in which the plot of the movie differs from the actual events. The exigencies of dramatic storytelling also require that certain practices and procedures are not accurately portrayed. Though, technically, these might be thought of as goofs, it's a movie, not a documentary.
• Movie Goof (audio/visual unsynchronized): In the Spanish and German versions, when Garrison and McKnight talk about Spectre gunships, the word "gunship" is translated as "helicopter."
• Specialist Grimes, portrayed by Ewan McGregor, is a fictional character, though given his administrative position and penchant for coffee, he is unabashedly based on the real-life Ranger clerk Spc John Stebbins, who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the battle. However, Stebbins was convicted in 2000 for child molestation and is currently serving a 30-year jail term. As a result, the Pentagon apparently pressured screenwriters to alter his name in the film, although a spokeswoman for the movie defended the change as "a creative decision made by the producers."
• Movie Goof (incorrectly regarded as a mistake): Cartridges and empty casings seen throughout the movie are not blanks. Cartridges and blank casings that are seen in some scenes are, in fact, "dummy" rounds. They are characterized by the crimping of the casing. Blank cartridges are generally "live" rounds with the projectile removed. Casings of spent blanks and "live" rounds are not distinguishable unless they are painted to indicate otherwise.