Goofs

The story appears to take place over the span of decades, but the children do not age while it progresses.

At the trial of Dr. Minor, the judge uses a gavel to call for order. British courts have never used gavels. This is exclusively an American custom.

It was depicted that Prof. Murray received an honorary doctorate from Oxford University right after the first volume of the Dictionary was printed; he did not receive the honorary doctorate until a year before his death.

Minor has a flashback of the Civil War, and a man who has lost his leg in battle is seen screaming. However, it is obvious the man already had surgery on the leg, and it is now a healed stump, not a fresh injury.

James Murray makes reference to crosswords puzzles; they were not created until 1913.

After a fight Dr William Minor has his face patched up with adhesive plasters. The adhesive bandage was not introduced until 1924.

Towards the end, at the prisoner release board, Dr. Brayne says, "the matter here begs a different question.." This use of the phrase "begs the question" in this manner is a new corruption of the original meaning, which is "to assume as true without evidence". Quite a goof for a movie about the OED.

James Murray turns on electric lights; they were not invented yet.

Dr. Minor quotes a poem by Emily Dickinson. It is unlikely he would have known her poetry, since her first collection was not published until 1890.

Dr. Murray is on a train crossing a Thames bridge apparently adjacent to the Houses of Parliament. No railroad bridge exists in that location.

Mr Murray's interview for the position of editor of the OED takes place in "Oxford, England" according to the text on screen, but it is so obviously filmed in the Long Room of the Library of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. It is one of the most famous and recognisable libraries in the world, and is quite far away from Oxford, England.