In The Hunt for Red October when the DSRV docks with Red October there is a bright light shining on the hatch but there is no light in the DSRV.

A Lithuanian borm Submarine Captain steals a top-secret Soviet 'Typhoon' Class missiles submarine during its proving voyage. His hand picked crew of officers are intending to defect to the United States while fooling the crew that when they reach the United States coastline there will be a reactor accident.
He sends a letter to the Kremlin declaring his intentions and therefore 'burning his bridges', the Soviet Navy respond by sending the Northern Fleet after him. This new submarine is equipped with a 'caterpillar drive' system making it effectively invisible to sonar but the caterpillar drive is sabotaged.
When the United States show concern over the large fleet gatherings they say it is because one of their submarines is missing with a son of a Party official aboard. Later they say that the commander has went 'rogue' intending to fire his missiles at the US.
Jack Ryan formerly of the CIA is the only one who believes that Captain Marko Ramius, the sub commander is defecting and must convince the US Navy to seize the sub.

In the DSRV, there is a bright light reflecting off of the water on the Red October's hatch. But there is no light visible when viewed from the hatch.

The opening song is sweet.

This is a technical nit. The pod on top of the Red October's fin is a housing for a towed sonar array. This makes the "crazy Ivan" meaneuver unneeded.
As Jack is hauled into the Dallas after releasing the line from the helo the sailor on the left hits a metal 'pipe' which collapses.

A modern classic. Putting everything from the book into the movie would have been impossible, perhaps it could have fit into a 6 hour long mini-series, but not a 2 hour movie. Most of that stuff was cut because the book takes place over the course of about 2 weeks, the move takes place over the course of about 3 or 4 days. Also changes from book to book to movie are not nits. It's called an adaptation, that's why the credits said "based on novel by Tom Clancy" and than goes on to list the screenwriters. If it was supposed to be a line for line, scene for scene re-creation of the book the credit would have read "Written by Tom Clancy"

Now onto the nits....

The destroyer fires a torpedo at the Red October and than remote detonates it before it hits the hull. Torpedos that are fired from submarines have about 20 miles of wire connecting them to the boat that fired them. This wire can be used to self distruct the torpedos. The problem is this torpedo was dropped from a helicopter and has no trailing wire to send the self distruct signal through.

The footage of the jet fighter crashing on the aircraft carrier was actually famous stock footage of a plain crash that happened in the 1950s or 1960s, that's why you only see it on a TV monitor. That type of jet is no longer flown by the navy; at least not on it's carriers.

Also Marco Ramious, the Lithuanian Captian, does not sound Lithuanian, nor does he even sound Russian, as does the rest of his crew. This is, of course, because Sean Connery is from Scotland and speaks with his natural accent no matter what character he is playing.

Here's a nit from around the beginning of the movie. As Ryan is packing up to leave his home in London, his wife addresses the sitter or domestic about their daughter in an affected English accent, then addresses him in an American accent (the actress in question is Gates McFadden). Why the change from one sentence to the next? Is she trying to fool the help into thinking she is English, or fool her husband into thinking she is American?

About the plane crash shot, what jet was it that was shown crashing into the deck of the carrier, and what was shown coming in for a landing? I thought the plane approaching the deck was an F-14 (has a long, conical nose) which was in use when the movie took place (mid-80's), and when it was shot, as it still is. The old footage that was supposedly used for the crash might show an A-6 (has a little, stubby nose), which was used in the 60's, and I think was still in use during the Gulf War. I would have to watch the movie again to be sure about this. If this is true, then it's a different plane coming down to the deck from the one that blew up and smoldered on the deck.

Why the change from one sentence to the next? Is she trying to fool the help into thinking she is English, or fool her husband into thinking she is American?

Actually, Chris, this may be authentic. I have had something similar happen to me. It does require some immersion in a place where there's a different dialect/accent.

I spent two years at college in St. Louis. I had roommates from OK and AR. So, while I was there, I unconsciously picked up a drawl. When I came back to CA, I dropped it. When I went to OK on a business trip, I immediately picked it up again, and dropped it again the second I stepped off the plane back in CA.

Later, I had a co-worker from TX. He had a noticeable drawl. I started drawling back at him. But when I'd talk to his officemate, I'd wouldn't drawl at her.

So the situation you comment on may be authentic.

I have had similar experiences about language one of the people in the office moved up from Atlanta. I play RPGs so I try and pick up languages and such and started drawling my words when talking to this person, even subconsciously when I wasnt wanting to. And being from Southern ohio doesnt help as we have a slight twang I have been told before as well.

Chris, you are correct about the plane crash bit it is famous old stock footage of an A6 crash that was used in the film.

I've always thought it so ironic that Gates McFadden left TNG for a year so she could accept projects like this - only for most of her part to end up on the cutting-room floor...

"This wire can be used to self distruct the torpedos." Brian 01-19-01

Actually Brian the torpedos can't be self distructed. They can be shut down but there is no signal to cause them to explode.

As the DSRV detaches from the Dallas, which is actually the Houston, a guy says "thrusting port," to clear the sail no doubt, but I'm fairly certain no submarine in the world has this capability, yes even the mini-subs.

Why send a second-class sonarmen on a mission such as this, Jones was able to go the the Red October?

I am curious to know what major differences, if any, there are from the book to the movie. I suppose I could just go read the book but I'm just interested in hearing a few differences.

One major difference, the Soviets don't tell the US that Ramius has gone rogue.

Actually the DSRV does have the capability. Check out the pic on this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_class

Those black dots on the front and back are thrusters, they also have ones on the other side. They are used to that it can perform the tight maneuvering needed to dock with the escape hatch on a downed submarine. Lots of modern ships have thrusters. If you ever get the chance to take a cruse on a huge cruse ship I highly recommend it. If for no other reason than how neat it is to watch a 15 story tall ship (that's basically a resort hotel) slide up-to/away-from a dock that looks like you couldn't get a ship half that size into. They use thrusters in the same way.

Large ships do have thrusters, and retractable manuvering propellers, but subs do not. They do have areas for suction that moves the sub very small distances but those are not thrusters. They require compressed air, that surface ships have in abundance, but subs need all the air they can get, and the space to store it in, unless they're surface supplied. In the movie all that is said is "thrusting port" so maybe this wasn't the case but the DSRV's screw can turn to move it at an angle from the Dallas.

I made a mistake. I implied that water-bound vessils always use pnumatic thrusters but they can certainly use water. I'm still fairly certain the DSRV, or any sub, does not use thrusters because I've been on one, and many other subs around the world.

In the fighter crash on the aircraft carrier, the giveaway even to people who know nothing about fighter aircraft is in the final shot as the jet crashes into the stern of the carrier, you can see a pod at the tip of the left wing, which is not visible in the previous shots of the jet on approach. And, yeah, those of us who know a little about fighter jets know the F-14 doesn't have any sort of pods on the wing tips.

When the Russian crew is abandoning ship, after the faked reactor incident, the US chopper drops a torpedo at Red October. The problem is that Red October is shown submerged and underway. At the time the chopper was in the air, the sub was still surfaced with crew on it.

I know that the Cold War is over, but a Muppet Red October would kick arse. Sam the Eagle as the Scott Glenn character. Kermit just might be a good fit as the Alec Baldwin version of Jack Ryan, too.

P.S. The Cook on the Sub as the Swedish Chef!