Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 comedy-drama crime film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor and Louisiana attorney and parish prosecutor. His primary crime was check forgery, becoming so skillful that the FBI eventually turned to him for help. Steven Spielberg directed the film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale, as well as Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams, Martin Sheen, and Nathalie Baye.

Development for the film started as far back as 1980. With the beginning of the 21st century, filmmakers such as David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, Lasse Hallström, Miloš Forman and Cameron Crowe were at one point involved with Catch Me if You Can. Spielberg (who was originally involved as producer) decided to become the project's director, dropping out of Big Fish and Memoirs of a Geisha. Filming took place from February to May 2002. Catch Me If You Can received financial and critical success, and the real Abagnale greeted the film positively.

Frank Abagnale Jr, 16 years old, lives happily in 1964 New Rochelle, New York with his father Frank Abagnale Sr and French mother Paula. When a loan for Frank Sr. is denied at Chase Manhattan Bank, due to a series of IRS tax frauds by Frank Sr, the family is forced to move from their grand home to a small apartment. Paula carries on an affair with Jack, a friend of her husband. In the meantime, Frank poses as a substitute teacher in his French class. Shortly, Frank's parents file for divorce, and Frank, scared, runs away. When he runs out of money, he begins to use confidence scams. Frank's cons grow ever bolder and he even impersonates an airline pilot. He forges Lufthansa & Pan Am payroll checks and succeeds in stealing more than $2.8 million.

Meanwhile Carl Hanratty, an FBI bank fraud agent, begins to track down Frank with little help from his superiors. Carl and Frank meet in a hotel, where Frank convinces Carl his name is Barry Allen of the Secret Service. Frank leaves, with Carl angrily fooled. Later, at Christmas, Carl is still working when Frank calls him, attempting to apologize for duping Carl. Carl rejects his apology and tells him that he will soon be caught, but laughs when he realizes that Frank actually called him because he has no one else to talk to. Frank hangs up, and Carl continues to investigate. At a restaurant, a waiter points out to Carl that Frank's false name, "Barry Allen," is from The Flash comic books. Carl then realizes that Frank is probably a teenager.

Frank, meanwhile, has not only switched to becoming a doctor and a Louisiana lawyer, but has also fallen in love with a girl named Brenda. Carl tracks him to his engagement party where Frank admits the truth about himself to Brenda and asks her to run away with him. As he escapes, he asks Brenda to meet him in two days so they can elope. At the Miami International Airport, Frank sees her waiting as agreed, but he spots FBI agents everywhere and realizes that he has been set up (with Brenda as the bait) and posing as a representative for Pan-Am, goes to a nearby girl's college to "recruit" girls to be "stewardesses-in-training," and returns to the airport the next day, using the girls that he recruits as a distraction to the FBI agents, making his escape to Europe.

Seven months later, Carl shows his boss that Frank has been forging checks all over the world and that he is out of control. He wants permission to fly to Europe to look for him. When his boss denies him the permission, Carl takes Frank’s checks to professional printers who deem that they were printed in France. Remembering that Frank’s mother, Paula, was born in Montrichard, France, Carl goes there where he finds Frank. He tells him the French police will kill him if he does not go with Carl quietly. Frank assumes he is joking, but Carl assures Frank he would never lie to him, and Carl takes him outside, where the French police escort him to prison. Carl promises to have him extradited to the U.S.

The scene then flashes forward to a plane returning Frank to the U.S. from France. Carl informs him that his father has died. Consumed with grief, Frank escapes through the bathroom plumbing and out the landing gear when the plane lands in New York. He goes back to his old house, where he sees his mother and Jack Barnes, as well as a little girl that Frank realizes is his half-sister. Frank gives up and is sentenced to prison, getting occasional visits from Carl. When Frank easily points out how one of the checks Carl is carrying as evidence is fake, Carl gets an idea and calls for an interview with the FBI. At the interview, the FBI informs Frank that he can serve out the remainder of his sentence working in the FBI's bank fraud department, under Carl’s custody, to which Frank accepts. Though somewhat content, Frank still misses the thrill of the chase and attempts to be a pilot again. Carl catches him, but lets him fly anyway, remarking "sometimes it's easier living the lie," and says he knows Frank will be back, as no-one is chasing him.

On Monday, though delayed, Frank does return, and finally reveals to Carl that not all of his careers were cons—Frank passed the Louisiana Bar exam by studying for it for two weeks. The epilogue shows that Frank is happily married with three sons, lives in the Midwest, and is still good friends with Carl. Frank has helped catch some of the world's most elusive money forgers and earns millions creating unforgeable checks.
Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio and the real Frank Abagnale.

* 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 Jr. for most of the film. Hanratty is often mocked by other agents, who do not take check fraud seriously. Hanratty is divorced, and his daughter and wife live in Chicago. In the end, Carl and Frank Jr. 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 IRS tax evasion. Frank Sr. dies after falling down a staircase in a train station.
* Nathalie Baye as Paula Abagnale/Barnes. Frank Sr. meets her when she is 18-years old in Montrichard, France during World War II. Six weeks later the couple marries. They divorce when Frank is 15, leaving Paula to marry Jack Barnes. Towards the end of the film, they have a daughter.
* Amy Adams as Brenda Strong. Before becoming a nurse in Georgia, Brenda has 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. His alma mater is University of California, Berkeley Law School Boalt Hall.
* James Brolin as Jack Barnes, an associate of Frank Sr at the New Rochelle, New York Rotary Club. Barnes later carries 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.

Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Acker have small roles. Brian Howe, Frank John Hughes and Chris Ellis portray FBI agents. Jennifer Garner cameos as a call girl. The real Frank Abagnale cameos as a French police officer arresting his character.