History Trivia / Sneakers

* TechnicalAdvisor: The script and slides for Janek's lecture on the mathematical underpinnings of the codebreaking MacGuffin were created by Len Adleman, one of the mathematicians behind the real-life RSA public-key encryption system. Since the whole point is that it's an entirely new technique previously unknown to science, his brief was not to ensure accuracy but rather to produce some impressive technobabble with just enough relation to reality to sound plausible.

* ThrowItIn: Creator/StephenTobolowsky said in an interview the director told him to do anything to get Creator/MaryMcDonell to laugh in their scenes together, so he did things like say his name while his mouth was stuffed with food.

* HeyItsThatPlace: The building where Cosmo gets arrested in the prologue has a long history in cinema, stretching back to its debut as a courthouse in the 1948 film ''Film/AnActOfMurder''. To modern audiences, it's probably most recognizable as the Hill Valley clock tower in ''Film/BackToTheFuture''.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The braille edition of ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' [[http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/the-braille-edition-of-playboy-is-now-online really does exist]]. (Note the date on the masthead.)

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Between the Mafia missing the Cold War, WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell sentiment of field agents, dial-up Internet, flip phones, and NSA introductions, this is clearly set in [[TheNineties early 90s]].
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: After he was sent a script and offered the role of Mother, Creator/DanAykroyd made a pitch to be cast as Cosmo instead. He ceded after learning that Creator/BenKingsley was in line for the role.

* AllStarCast: To an almost ridiculous extent. Creator/RobertRedford is the lead, his team is Creator/SidneyPoitier, Creator/DanAykroyd, [[Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck David Straithairn]], Creator/MaryMcDonnell, and (the now sadly deceased) Creator/RiverPhoenix, and Creator/BenKingsley played Cosmo -- plus a OneSceneWonder appearance by Creator/JamesEarlJones. Of the principal cast, only David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for an Academy Award by the time of ''Sneakers''' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Between the Mafia missing the Cold War, WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell sentiment of field agents, dial-up Internet, flip phones, and NSA introductions, this is clearly set in [[TheNineties early 90s]].

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Between the Mafia missing the Cold war, dialup Internet, flip phones, and NSA introductions, this is clearly set in TheNineties.

* AllStarCast: To an almost ridiculous extent. Creator/RobertRedford is the lead, his team is Creator/SidneyPoitier, Creator/DanAykroyd, [[Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck David Straithairn]], Creator/MaryMcDonnell, and (the now sadly deceased) Creator/RiverPhoenix, and Creator/BenKingsley played Cosmo -- plus a OneSceneWonder appearance by Creator/JamesEarlJones.
** Of the principal cast, only David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for an Academy Award by the time of Sneakers' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

* One of the characters [[GallowsHumor jokes about]] using the MacGuffin to "crash a couple of passenger jets". The movie was released on September 11... 1992.

* One of the characters [[GallowsHumor jokes about]] using the MacGuffin to "crash a couple of passenger jets". The movie was released on September 11... 1992.

** Of the principal cast, only David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for an Academy Award by the time of Sneakers' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

* The characters joke about using the MacGuffin to "crash a couple of passenger jets". The movie was released on September 11, 1992.

* The characters joke about using the MacGuffin to "crash a couple of passenger jets". The movie was released on September 11, 1992.
* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Dick Gordon is played by Timothy Busfield, probably best known as Danny Concannon on ''Series/TheWestWing''. He's also Annie's brother in ''FieldOfDreams''.
** And if you like baseball, note that Whistler and Wallace are both in ''ALeagueOfTheirOwn''.
** Janek's played by perpetual HeyItsThatGuy DonalLogue in his film debut.

** Dick Gordon is played by Timothy Busfield, probably best known as Danny Concannon on ''TheWestWing''. He's also Annie's brother in ''FieldOfDreams''.

** Of the principal cast, only David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for AcademyAwards by the time of Sneakers' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

** Of the principal cast, only Bonnie Bedelia and David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for AcademyAwards by the time of Sneakers' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

** Of the principle cast, only Bonnie Bedelia and David Straithairn had not been at least nominated for AcademyAwards by the time of Sneakers' production. Straithairn would later get a nomination for GoodNightAndGoodLuck.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The braille edition of ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' [[http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/the-braille-edition-of-playboy-is-now-online really does exist]].

* HeyItsThatGuy: Dick Gordon is played by Timothy Busfield, probably best known as Danny Concannon on ''TheWestWing''.

* The characters joke about using the MacGuffin to "crash a couple of passenger jets". The movie was released on September 11, 1992.