Rating: PG13
Genre:
Crime
Theatrical Release: 12/25/2002(USA)
Release Date: 05/06/2003
SubTitles: English/Espanol/French
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1/DDS2.0/DTS
Run Time: 141 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Watch With Your Teen
Distributor/Studio: DreamWorks
A gifted forger and confidence man attempts to stay one step ahead of the lawman determined to bring him to justice in this
comedy-drama from
Steven Spielberg, based on a true story.
Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (
Leonardo DiCaprio) is a 16-year-old high school student who finds himself emotionally cut adrift when his mother,
Paula (
Nathalie Baye), leaves his father,
Frank Abagnale Sr. (
Christopher Walken), after
Frank Sr. falls into arrears with the Internal Revenue Service. One day at school,
Frank Jr. attempts to pass himself off as a substitute teacher, and easily makes the subterfuge work. His small-scale success gives
Frank some ideas, and he soon discovers bigger and more profitable ways of hoaxing others, passing himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor, and an attorney. Along the way,
Frank learns how to become a master forger, and uses his talent and charm to pass over 2.5 million dollars in phony checks.
Frank's increasingly audacious work soon attracts the attention of
Carl Hanratty (
Tom Hanks), an FBI agent who is determined to put
Frank behind bars.
Frank seems to enjoy being pursued by
Carl, and even goes so far as to call
Carl on the phone to chat every once in a while. While posing as a doctor,
Frank falls in love with
Brenda Strong (
Amy Adams), a sweet girl working as a candy striper. When
Frank asks
Brenda to marry him, he decides to assume a new identity to impress her father,
Roger (
Martin Sheen) -- who happens to be the District Attorney of New Orleans, LA.
Catch Me If You Can was based on the autobiography of the real
Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who has a cameo in the film and today works on the side of the law as a top consultant on preventing forgery and designing secure checking systems.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide