Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams and James Brolin in supporting roles. The screenplay by Jeff Nathanson is based on the book by Frank Abagnale Jr., who shared stories about tricking people for money before turning 19.

The movie tells how Abagnale Jr. pretended to be many different jobs, like a pilot and a doctor, to get away with big cons. Some people question if everything in his story is true.

Making the movie started soon after the book came out in 1980, but it really began in 1997 when Spielberg's company DreamWorks bought the rights. Several famous directors were considered before Spielberg chose to direct it himself. Filming happened from February to May 2002.

When the film was released on December 25, 2002, it was a big hit with both critics and audiences. It made $352 million around the world. At the 75th Academy Awards, Christopher Walken and John Williams got nominations for their work on the movie.

Plot

In 1969, FBI agent Carl Hanratty went to Marseille, France, to pick up prisoner Frank Abagnale Jr. who was unwell.

We see Frank as a boy in New Rochelle, New York, watching his father trick people. When his parents divorced, Frank ran away and started tricking people to get money. He pretended to be a Pan Am pilot and made fake checks worth millions.

Carl from the FBI tried to catch Frank many times, but Frank was clever and escaped each time. Eventually, Frank was arrested in France but agreed to work for the FBI to help catch other fraudsters. He stayed friends with Carl and became an expert on stopping tricks with money and fake documents.

Cast

This movie stars many talented actors. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr., and Tom Hanks plays Carl Hanratty. Other actors include Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Sr., Nathalie Baye as Paula Abagnale, Amy Adams as Brenda Strong, and Martin Sheen as Roger Strong.

The film also features Nancy Lenehan as Carol Strong, James Brolin as Jack Barnes, and Brian Howe as Earl Amdursky. Many other actors bring the story to life, and the real Frank Abagnale makes a small appearance as a French police officer.

Production

Frank Abagnale sold the film rights to his story in 1980. Over the years, many studios and directors were involved before Steven Spielberg finally decided to direct it. Spielberg took over directing in 2001 after several changes in the cast and crew.

Leonardo DiCaprio was set to star, and Tom Hanks joined the cast to replace someone who couldn’t fit the schedule. Amy Adams, Christopher Walken, and Martin Sheen were also part of the cast. Filming happened in many places, including Los Angeles, New York City, and Quebec City. The movie was made in just 52 days, with scenes sometimes filmed much faster than planned.

Soundtrack

The music for the film was created by John Williams. The soundtrack was released on December 10, 2002, by DreamWorks Records.

Historical accuracy

Frank Abagnale Jr. had little to do with making the film, but he thought Steven Spielberg was the best person to direct it. Abagnale said Spielberg wanted to show the real connection between him and his father, even though in real life, Abagnale never saw his father again after running away from home.

Abagnale talked about some differences between the movie and real life. For example, the movie shows him as an only child, but he actually had brothers and a sister. In the film, his mother remarries, but that did not happen in real life. He also escaped the airplane differently in the movie than he did in reality. Despite these changes, Abagnale thought Spielberg did a good job staying close to the real story. The film also changed the name of the FBI agent who worked with Abagnale.

Themes

Catch Me If You Can explores themes of broken homes and difficult childhoods. The director, Steven Spielberg, grew up with parents who divorced, which mirrors the experiences of the film’s main character, Frank Abagnale. In the movie, another main character, Carl Hanratty, is also separated from his wife.

Spielberg aimed to make a film that showed understanding for someone who made wrong choices. He noted that Frank was very clever, living in a time when people trusted others more. The film is meant to be fun and light, not a guide for anyone to follow bad actions.

Release

DreamWorks made sure to call the film "inspired by a true story" so they wouldn't get into trouble like other movies that changed history too much. The movie had its first showing in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, on December 18, 2002.

To help people learn more about the film, Game Show Network showed an old episode of the game show To Tell the Truth from 1977 that featured Frank Abagnale. They aired parts of it on December 29, 2002, and January 1, 2003, to promote the movie.

Home media

Catch Me If You Can came out on DVD and VHS on May 6, 2003, by DreamWorks Home Entertainment. The DVD had two discs with special features and footage by director Steven Spielberg, along with interviews. By December 2003, the DVD sold 3.2 million copies, making more than $56.3 million. To celebrate the film's 10th anniversary, a Blu-ray version was released on December 4, 2012, and a 20th anniversary Blu-ray version came out on October 4, 2022.

Reception

Box office

Catch Me If You Can was released on December 25, 2002. It earned more than $30 million in its first weekend in theaters, coming in second place behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The film made $164.6 million in North America and $187.5 million in other countries, totaling $352.1 million worldwide. It was a big success, making much more than its $52 million budget. It was the eleventh highest-grossing film of 2002; another film by the same director, Minority Report, was tenth.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 96% rating from 203 reviews, with an average score of 7.9 out of 10. Critics said the film, led by Leonardo DiCaprio's acting, is stylish, fun to watch, and kind. On Metacritic, it scored 75 out of 100 from 39 critics, showing generally good reviews. Moviegoers gave it an average grade of "A−".

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised DiCaprio's acting. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it one of director’s smoother and friendlier films. Stephen Hunter of the Washington Post thought DiCaprio showed great skill. James Berardinelli liked the film’s humor and praised the music by John Williams, saying it felt cozy and jazzy. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was one of the few who did not enjoy the film, finding it too long. In 2025, filmmaker Rob Marshall named it one of his favorite films of the 21st century.

Accolades

Musical adaptation

A musical version of the story first showed up at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington, in July 2009. It featured actors Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz. The musical started preview shows on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on March 11, 2011, and officially opened on April 10, 2011. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.