One of the attractions of adapting the film for author John Irving was that he wanted his son, Colin Irving, to play Wally Worthington. However, as the development process took over a decade, eventually his son was too old for the part and was not known enough to be considered for it in any event. However, the role of Major Winslow did ultimately provide Colin Irving a part in the film.
When Wally, Candy, and Homer leave St. Cloud's for the first time, Candy is lying down in the back seat. When they drive down the dirt road, she is sitting up. In the next shot, she is lying down again.
As Wally and Candy arrive at the orphanage, Curly can be seen running down the steps to approach their car. He looks as if he's helping to open the door, directly in front of Candy. However in the next shot Curly's seen running in from the left to introduce himself to Candy.
As the train pulls up to the station at the beginning of the film the clang of the bell on the train corresponds to the engineer pulling the lanyard to swing the bell except for the last clang, the lanyard is not pulled.
Homer: Dear Dr. Larch. Thank you for your doctor's bag, although it seems that I will not have the occasion to use it, barring some emergency, of course. I am not a doctor. With all due respect to your profession, I'm enjoying my life here. I'm enjoying being a lobsterman and orchardman. In fact, I've never enjoyed myself as much. The truth is, I want to stay here. I believe I'm being of some use.
Peaches: What do they think, go up to the roof to sleep? They must think we're crazy. They think we're dumb niggers, so we need dome dumb rules, is what they think.
Arthur Rose: That's right. That's the truth. I'm just tryin' to put things straight. Sometimes, ya gotta break some rules, to put things straight. Ain't that right, Homer?