Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale, who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor. His primary crime was check fraud; he became so experienced that the FBI eventually turned to him to help in catching other check forgers. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Nathalie Baye in supporting roles.

Development for the film started in 1980 but did not progress until 1997 when the film rights to Abagnale’s book were sold to Spielberg's DreamWorks. David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, Lasse Hallström, Miloš Forman and Cameron Crowe had all been possible candidates for director before Spielberg decided to direct. Filming took place from February to May 2002. The film was a financial and critical success, and the real Abagnale reacted positively to it.

Storyline

An FBI agent hunts down a young con artist who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, and assistant attorney general, cashing more than $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in 26 countries.

Plot

In 1963, teen-aged Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) lives in New Rochelle, New York with his father Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Christopher Walken), and French mother Paula (Nathalie Baye). When Frank Sr. is denied a business loan at Chase Manhattan Bank due to unknown difficulties with the IRS, the family is forced to move from their large home to a small apartment. Paula carries on an affair with Jack (James Brolin), a friend of her husband. Meanwhile, Frank poses as a substitute teacher in his French class. Frank’s parents file for divorce, and Frank runs away. When he runs out of money, he begins relying on confidence scams to get by. Soon, Frank’s cons increase and he even impersonates an airline pilot. He forges Pan Am payroll checks and succeeds in stealing over $2.8 million.

Meanwhile, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI bank fraud agent, begins tracking Frank. Carl and Frank meet at a hotel, where Frank convinces Carl his name is Barry Allen of the Secret Service. Frank leaves, Carl angrily realizing a minute too late that he has been fooled. Later, at Christmas, Carl is still at work when Frank calls him, attempting to apologize for duping Carl. Carl rejects his apology and tells him he will soon be caught, but laughs when he realizes Frank actually called him because he has no one else to talk to. Frank hangs up, and Carl continues to investigate, suddenly realizing (thanks to a waiter) that the name “Barry Allen” is from the Flash comic books and that Frank is actually a teenager.

Frank, meanwhile, has expanded his con to include the identities of a doctor and lawyer, but has fallen in love with Brenda (Amy Adams), to whom he eventually admits the truth about himself and asks her to run away with him. Carl tracks him to his engagement party where Frank has left Brenda, asking her to meet him two days later so they can elope. Frank sees her waiting for him two days later, but also notices plainclothes agents waiting to arrest him, realizing he has been set up and escapes on a flight to Europe.

Seven months later, Carl shows his boss that Frank has been forging checks all over western Europe and asks permission to go to Europe to look for him. When his boss refuses, Carl brings Frank’s checks to printing professionals who claim that the checks were printed in France. From an interview with Frank’s mother, Carl remembers that she was actually born in Montrichard, France. He goes there and locates Frank, and tells him that the French police will kill him if he does not go with Carl quietly. Frank assumes he is lying at first, but Carl promises Frank he would never lie to him, and Carl takes him outside, where the French police escort him to prison.

The scene then flashes forward to a plane returning Frank home from prison, where Carl informs him that his father has died. Grief-stricken, Frank escapes from the plane and goes back to his old house, where he finds his mother with the man she left his father for, as well as a girl who Frank realizes is his half-sister. Frank gives himself up and is sentenced to 12 years in prison, getting visits from time to time from Carl. When Frank points out how one of the checks Carl is carrying as evidence is fake, Carl convinces the FBI to offer Frank a deal by which he can live out the remainder of his sentence working for the bank fraud department of the FBI, which Frank accepts. While working at the FBI, Frank misses the thrill of the chase and even attempts to fly as an airline pilot again. He is cornered by Carl, who insists that Frank will return to the FBI job since no one is chasing him. On the following Monday, Carl is nervous that Frank has not yet arrived at work. However, Frank eventually arrives and they discuss their next case.

The ending credits reveal that Frank has been happily married for 26 years, has three sons, lives in the Midwest, is still good friends with Carl, has caught some of the world's most elusive money forgers, and earns millions of dollars each year because of his work creating unforgeable checks.

Cast

• Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale, Jr. Before his 19th birthday, Frank successfully conned millions of dollars’ worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and Louisiana parish prosecutor.
• Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, an FBI agent who pursues Frank for most of the film. Hanratty is often teased by other agents who take check fraud as a joke. Hanratty is divorced, and his daughter and ex-wife live in Chicago. In the end, Carl and Frank become great friends.
• Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale, Sr., Frank’s father, and a World War II veteran. Frank, Sr. loses his wife Paula and most of his wealth after he committed tax evasion. Frank, Sr. dies after falling down a staircase in a train station.
• Nathalie Baye as Paula Abagnale. Frank, Sr. meets her when she is 18 years old in Montrichard, France during World War II. Five weeks later the couple marries. They divorce when Frank Jr. is 16, leaving Paula to marry Jack Barnes, with whom she has a daughter.
• Amy Adams as Brenda Strong. Before becoming a nurse, Brenda had an abortion. Her strict Lutheran parents disown her, until they meet Frank, Jr.
• Martin Sheen as Roger Strong, Brenda’s father, and Carol’s husband. Roger is a well-recognized district attorney in Louisiana and is not easily convinced that Frank, Jr. graduated from law school.
• James Brolin as Jack Barnes, an associate of Frank, Sr. at the New Rochelle, New York Rotary Club. Barnes later carries on an affair with Paula, leading to the divorce of Frank Jr.'s parents.
• Nancy Lenehan as Carol Strong, Brenda’s mother and Roger’s wife. When thinking that Frank, Jr. is a doctor, lawyer and Lutheran, she is highly ecstatic for her daughter’s marriage.
• Brian Howe, Frank John Hughes and Chris Ellis portray FBI agents. Jennifer Garner cameos as a call girl, and Ellen Pompeo and Elizabeth Banks have small roles. The real Frank Abagnale appears in a cameo as a French police officer arresting his character.

User Review

I Don't know how accurate these events are but as they are based on accounts written by Frank Abagale Jr. himself, then i assume that they are probably only dramatised for the viewing audience.

It's hard to believe that people were so naive, that they allowed Frank Abagnale to achieve what he did, but i have give the guy credit for pushing the system, and riding the high life for as long as he did.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job of capturing the character of Frank Abignale Jr. (strange i didn't picture him in the role of a jet setting Gigalo) and the rest of the cast although only little more than fringe characters, are all very well cast and give typically fine performances, as you would expect with the calibre of Hanks and Walken.