Catch Me If You Can (2002)
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A young man's life of high-stakes deception as a pilot and doctor leads to a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with the FBI.
The story
In 1969, FBI agent Carl Hanratty tracks down Frank Abagnale Jr., a young man who has spent years successfully posing as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a prosecutor. After his parents' divorce, Frank turns to confidence scams to survive, his schemes growing increasingly bold and lucrative. As his fraudulent activities reach the attention of the authorities, Carl begins a pursuit across the country. The film follows the escalating tension between the young con artist, who uses his charm and intellect to evade capture, and the determined agent trying to bring his sophisticated crimes to an end.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1969, FBI agent Carl Hanratty tracks Frank Abagnale Jr., a young man who has spent years posing as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a prosecutor. The story flashes back to 1963, where Frank witnesses his father's conning techniques before his parents' divorce leads him to a life of crime. Frank's forgeries become worth millions, prompting Carl to begin his pursuit. Frank successfully tricks Carl into believing he is a Secret Service agent and later escapes during a high-stakes situation at an airport while pretending to be a pilot. After being captured in France and extradited to the U.S., Frank is sentenced to prison. However, he is later allowed to work for the FBI Financial Crimes Unit. The film concludes with Frank becoming an expert on bank fraud, remaining friends with Carl, and living a settled life in the Midwest.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Jeff Nathanson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Leonardo DiCaprio · Frank Abagnale Jr.; Tom Hanks · Carl Hanratty; Christopher Walken · Frank Ab1; Martin Sheen · Roger Strong; Nathalie Baye · Paula Abagnale; Amy Adams · Brenda Strong
- Genres
- comedy-drama; biographical
- Themes
- broken homes; troubled childhoods; identity
- Tone and mood
- lighthearted; stylish; breezily entertaining
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; crime; con artist; chase
- Source material / true-story basis
- semi-autobiographical book by Frank Abagnale Jr.
- Reception
- The film was a major critical and commercial success, praised for its stylish direction and the lead performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · scale: percentage · review count: 203; Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Best Supporting Actor · Academy Awards · Nominated; Best Original Score · Academy Awards · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in 147 locations in only 52 days.; The character of Carl Hanratty was based on a real FBI agent named Joseph Shea.; The film was marketed as 'inspired by a true story' to avoid controversy.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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