The early 2000s presented a new challenge for Steven Spielberg. He had just enjoyed the best decade of his career (the 1990s), thanks to movies like Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan. How he could top those achievements became clear in 2002. He adapted Catch Me If You Can, the memoir by con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.
As always, Spielberg packed his picture with stars. Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, and James Brolin didn’t disappoint. The biopic was a major hit. It grossed $352 million globally and received several award nominations, including two from the Academy: Best Supporting Actor (for Walken as Abagnale Jr.’s father) and Best Original Score. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an impressive 96% score, making it one of Spielberg’s most critically acclaimed movies.
Why the Cat-and-Mouse Narrative in ‘Catch Me If You Can’ Works So Well
Catch Me If You Can dramatizes the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Louisiana parish prosecutor, and a Georgia doctor. Leonardo DiCaprio’s marvelous performance earns the character a place among cinema’s greatest con artists. However, the most praise goes to Spielberg and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson for their exploration of the relationship between Abagnale and FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).
Spielberg’s story is more emotionally dense than the usual hunter vs. hunted tales of Hollywood. Instead of direct chases and confrontations, Frank Abagnale Jr. and Carl Hanratty are kept apart for most of the movie, connected by phone calls, forged checks, and near-misses in lobbies and airport lounges. In one important scene on Christmas Eve, Frank calls Hanratty because he doesn’t have anyone to talk to. That adds to the movie’s emotional weight, proving that our criminal isn’t just being tortured by the idea of law enforcement breathing down his neck. He is tormented by loneliness.
Spielberg and Nathanson also draw parallels between the two men. Each of them has emerged from fractured families. Hanratty is a divorced workaholic who doesn’t take off for the holidays, and Abagnale is trying to create a better life for himself after the failure of his parents. Hanratty doesn’t seem like a predator. He actually sympathizes with Abagnale and kind of serves as a father figure to him.
This is a crime film everyone will enjoy, and the score by John Williams makes everything even more fun. The “Catch Me If You Can” theme during the opening credits triggers euphoria, and Spielberg even included the original James Bond theme in a scene where Abagnale embraces a spy-like lifestyle, wears a three-piece suit, and drives a 1965 Aston Martin DB5.
Abagnale’s Story Has Been Widely Disputed
Catch Me If You Can is an entertaining but inaccurate biopic. As many directors would do, Steven Spielberg mostly stuck to Abagnale’s story as presented in the book. However, the con artist’s claims have been widely disputed. For example, federal court records from his conviction show he only cashed 10 checks with a Pan American Airlines logo, totaling less than $1,500. Numerous reports have also debunked his claim that he passed the Louisiana bar and worked for Attorney General Jack P. F. Gremillion.
At the time of the movie’s release, Abagnale wrote a blog post addressing some of the controversy. He blamed the publishing house for the exaggerations, claiming the book’s editor went for sensationalism. He claims he insisted the publisher put a disclaimer in the book and tapes, but this was never honored.
“It has been reported that I had written $10 million, $8 million and $5 million worth of bad checks… The actual amount was $2.5 million,” says Abagnale. He also admits he was never on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List, as this is reserved for dangerous and violent criminals, but insists that he served time in prison in France, Sweden, and the United States between the ages of 16 and 21. Abagnale added that he was never close to his father as the movie suggested.
The book’s rights were reportedly purchased and sold by many studios over the years, including Columbia Pictures and Hollywood Pictures. Then DreamWorks came on board, Spielberg chose to direct it, and the rest is history. Many will agree that he was the perfect person for the job.
Catch it this weekend if you can!
