This movie is one of several fictional adaptations of a true, famous legal case of imposture from sixteenth century France. The case involved a man named Martin Guerre who, having disappeared from his Basque village in 1548, suddenly reappeared eight years later. Despite his slightly changed appearance, he convinced his family, wife, and fellow villagers that he was indeed Martin Guerre; he and his wife had two more children and he sued a paternal uncle for the claim to his father's estate. That uncle became suspicious that this returned Martin Guerre was actually an impostor named Arnaud du Tilh, and he contrived a way to have him tried for imposture. This suspicion was ultimately confirmed when the actual Martin Guerre arrived in court during du Tilh's trial. Arnaud du Tilh was convicted and hanged in September 1560.
The film unit also had to deal with torrential rain and flash floods, in which Richard Gere became a hero, personally rescuing horses and livestock from probable drowning. Film extra Billy Russell recalls, "They were filming a scene when the heavens opened. The river which had been swelling after heavy rains all month, burst its banks and all hell broke loose. The cast and crew fled indoors to wait until it had passed, when Gere remembered the horses tied up in a nearby stable. Still wearing his Civil War costume, he waded through the water and by the same time we reached the stables, the water was quite high, really dangerous. He untied his own horse and then supervised the removal of all the livestock to a safer area."
Original writer Nicholas Meyer walked off the production when Warner Brothers wouldn't let him direct his screenplay. Sarah Kernochan was drafted in to rewrite the script and was somewhat bemused to see that it was an Americanized version of The Return of Martin Guerre (1982). Warners denied this in a rather obvious attempt not to have to buy the remake rights, but Kernochan insisted that they do before continuing as they weren't fooling anyone. Warners eventually relented, and also gave Meyer story credit.
Is the first motion picture allowed to shoot in the George Washington National Forest. Not one hole could be dug by the construction crew without an accredited archaeologist being present to look for remains of habitation that might date back over 9,000 years.
One of the more unusual set dressing requirements was 30 acres of tobacco to accommodate a very important story point. The production planted, cultivated and harvested its own crop.