Acclaimed Flop: The film was well received by critics, including Roger Ebert who placed it in his "Great Movies" list, and praised Nicholson's performance but earned $29 million internationally from its $35 million budget.
California Doubling: British Columbia, Canada serves as a replacement for Nevada, USA. Though only a few scene exteriors were filmed in the actual state of Nevada.
Playing Against Type: Tom Noonan appears as a Sinister Minister that speaks to Lori's daughter and Jerry thinks he might be the villain he was looking for. Though it is later revealed that he is a Red Herring and a genuine reverend. Apparently, Sean Penn wanted to film more scenes to demonstrate the trope but Executive Meddling didn't want to spend money on extra scenes after the failure of Battlefield Earth.
Real-Life Relative: Robin Wright was Sean Penn's wife at the time the film was made. Also Penn's mother, actress Eileen Ryan, has a small role as Jerry's (Nicholson) secretary.
