* BackedByThePentagon: Most of the extras in the battle scenes were played by Irish army reservists.
* {{Blooper}}: In the last shot of the English cavalry charge during the Battle of Stirling right before Wallace shouts for his men to pick up their pikes, you can catch a glimpse of a modern sedan parked in the background of the shot at the left side of the screen (you can see it at 0:39 in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZmH0DGVXCo this clip]]).
* CaliforniaDoubling: For tax reasons, most of the movie was filmed in Ireland. Although it's doubtful that most American viewers [[{{Scotireland}} noticed the difference]], Ireland's rolling green hills and Scotland's rugged, mountainous landscape really don't resemble each other very much. And those parts of Scotland which they did use were on the wrong side of the country; they use the West Highlands, which historically played little part in Wallace's campaign.
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/BrianCox was first offered a larger role but took the role of Argyle Wallace because he felt it was a better role.
* ChannelHop: Creator/MelGibson and his production company, Icon Productions, had difficulty raising enough money for the film. Creator/WarnerBros was willing to fund the project on the condition that Gibson sign for another ''Film/LethalWeapon'' sequel, which he refused.
* DawsonCasting:
** Although Creator/MelGibson was nearly 40, his character was supposed to be in his twenties. Gibson also admitted he had always felt he was at least a decade too old to play Wallace.
** Although playing father and son, Creator/JamesCosmo and Creator/BrendanGleeson are only seven years apart in age.
* DescendedCreator: Creator/MelGibson only intended to direct and produce the film, as he felt he was too old to play William Wallace. He initially wanted Creator/BradPitt to star.
* DirectedByCastMember: Mel Gibson is both the lead actor and the director of this film.
* DuelingMovies: This was released a month apart from ''Film/RobRoy'', another historical drama about a heroic Scottish rebel facing off against their villainous English oppressors. Interestingly enough it was revealed in an interview with Brian Cox, an actor who shows up in both films in question, that Gibson had actually been the initial choice for the lead role of the opposing film but turned it down.
* DyeingForYourArt: The extras in the battle scenes were part of the Irish Army Reserve, and usually have to be clean-shaven, but were given special permission to grow beards for the film.
* FakeNationality: Many, MANY examples:
** FakeScot: American/Australian Mel Gibson as William Wallace, Irishmen Creator/BrendanGleeson and John Kavanagh as Hamish and Craig respectively, and English Catherine [=McCormack=] and Alun Armstrong as Murron and Mornay, respectively.
** FakeBrit: Irishmen Patrick [=McGoohan=] as Edward the Longshanks and Peter Hanly as his son Prince Edward. It also counts as a case of FakeNationality too, since the historical Edwards were descended from the French Plantagenet dynasty.
** FakeIrish: Somewhat confusingly, the cast includes Irish actor Gleeson as Scottish character Hamish, while the Irish character Stephen is played by David O'Hara...[[IronyAsSheIsCast who's Scottish]].
* FalselyAdvertisedAccuracy: Despite the film's claims of historical accuracy, there are historical falsehoods from the opening narration to the final scene. It's filled with anachronisms, sentimental touches, simplistic historical reductionism and is essentially a mythical version of medieval Scotland with little relation to the events it claims to depict.
* FollowTheLeader:
** Was able to get made during a wave of adventure films set in the Middle Ages after the success of ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'', most often about gallant heroes fighting for freedom against tyrannical leaders. This film however amped things up from swashbuckler to full-blown epic, with more films following suit after this one's success.
** ''Film/ThePatriot2000'' was certainly inspired by the film from having the same lead actor to heavy amounts of ArtisticLicenseHistory, HistoricalHeroUpgrade and HistoricalVillainUpgrade for both sides of the story.
* HostilityOnTheSet: Many of the Irish extras (playing English and Scottish soldiers in the background) came from rival companies and they took the opportunity to really beat the tar out of each other during the battle scenes.
* RealLifeRelative: Creator/MelGibson's brother Donald plays the leader of one of the clans that joins up with William Wallace at the midpoint of the movie.
* RenamedToAvoidAssociation: Wallace's wife in ''The Wallace'', which the film is based on, was named Marion Braidfute. Her name was changed to Murron [=MacClannough=] to avoid confusion with Maid Marian of Myth/RobinHood fame.
* TypeCasting: That same year, Mel Gibson also starred in ''{{WesternAnimation/Pocahontas}}'', another highly fictionalised story about a historical figure, where his love interest in the film was a child in real life.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The original script had the Irish fighting the Scottish, which is actually historically accurate.
** The bridge for the Battle of Stirling was supposed to be featured, but it was scrapped because it was too difficult to work with. A Scottish extra quipped [[DeadpanSnarker "Aye, that's what the English found."]]
** In the original script, the Scots don't see the Irish coming.
** Creator/JeffBridges, Creator/ChristopherLambert, Creator/DanielDayLewis, Creator/LiamNeeson and Creator/RobinWilliams were considered for William Wallace. Mel Gibson wasn't even interested in playing the role, intending to direct at first, and considered Brad Pitt and Jason Patric for it.
** Creator/SeanConnery turned down the role of Edward Longshanks due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/JustCause''.
** Randall Wallace initially planned to start the story with William Wallace as an adult and added the prologue of his childhood only as an afterthought. As the sequence was first written, Murron gave William a rose (rather than a thistle) at his father's burial; however, someone who read the script helpfully pointed out that the rose, being a traditional symbol of England, would be (to say the least) somewhat inappropriate as a prominent feature in the story.
** Creator/MelGibson offered Creator/TerryGilliam the director's chair, but he declined. They were supposed to collaborate on an adaptation of ''Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities''.
** Creator/JodieFoster was considered for the roles of Princess Isabelle of France and William Wallace's wife Murron.
** Gibson said that Wallace's speech would've been better if Wallace just hit an Englishman in the head. "I would've done it that way if I could do it over."
** According to Mel Gibson, the original cut was over an hour longer and had all of its scenes filmed. He has mentioned he may release this cut at some point in the future.
** Tommy Flanagan recalls being only cast for two weeks of work, and his character was just called 'The Bridegroom'. Mel Gibson however liked him and expanded his role to keep him around longer, including giving him a name (Morrison).
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