Podcast 49: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

February 16, 2022 Jon S Movies, Podcasting 01:16:0071MB 0 Comments
Catch Me If You Can

The 3 Guys Podcast

Recorded on 2/10/2022

The true story of a real fake.  In this episode we review the Steven Spielberg directed movie, Catch Me If You Can (released 2002) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Nathalie Baye.  WARNING: There will be SPOILERS!

The 3 Guys Rating

3.1/5
Catch Me If You Can Blu Ray

Interested in checking out the movie on Blu-Ray? Click on the link below.

Catch Me If You Can (Blu-ray)
Catch Me If You Can Book

Book: “Catch Me If You Can”

by Frank W. Abagnale & Stan Redding

Be sure to check out the book that the movie is based on. Click on the link below.

Catch Me If You Can (Book)

Notes From The Show

  • Quick Synopsis

  • Released: December 25, 2002

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Screenplay By:  Jeff Nathanson

    Based on the Book:   “Catch Me If You Can” by Frank Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding

    Music By: John Williams

    Stars:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Nathalie Baye

    Plot:  Barely 21 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.

    How did this movie do
    Budget: $52 Million
    Box office: $352 Million

  • Awards

    • At the 75th Academy Awards, Christopher Walken and John Williams were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score.

    • Walken won the same category at the 56th British Academy Film Awards, while Williams, costume designer Mary Zophres and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson received nominations.

    • DiCaprio was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

    • Williams also earned a Grammy Award nomination.

  • Casting

    • In 1981 it was originally announced that Frank would be played by Dustin Hoffman.

    • Steven Spielberg’s original choice for the role of Frank Abagnale, Jr. was Johnny Depp.

    • Spielberg’s original choice for Carl was James Gandolfini.

  • Life/Book/Movie

    • In The Book: When he was young, Frank Jr. got up to some monetary shenanigans in his teen years involving his father’s credit cards. His father tried to enroll him in a school for “wayward boys.”  This is the real reason Frank Jr. ran away from home.

    • In Real Life: According to Abagnale, his first victim was his father, who gave Abagnale a gasoline credit card and a truck and was ultimately liable for a bill amounting to $3,400. Abagnale was only 15 at the time. In his autobiography, Abagnale says, because of this crime, he was sent to a reform school in Westchester County, New York (fitting the description of the Lincolndale Agricultural School) run by Catholic Charities USA.

    • In The Book: Abagnale’s fourth phony career was left out of the movie, though it was illustrated a little when he poses as a teacher for his French class. For one summer semester, Abagnale took on the role of a sociology professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He was well-liked by his students, who found him affable and intelligent. He pulled it off by reading one chapter ahead of them every week, which some pupils found a little odd. BYU advertised in the paper for a sociology professor, Abagnale forged a transcript from Columbia University, and the prestigious university took him on.

    • In The Book: Regarding the plane escape, Abagnale really escaped through the kitchen gallery where food comes on and off the plane, but Redding invented the bathroom detail for the book. Abagnale knew his way around planes fairly well due to his time spent pretending to be a pilot, so he would have known that escape through the toilet was impossible.

    • In The Movie: Family connection is pushed in the movie more than real life. In real life, Frank Jr. had very little to do with his parents after he ran away.

    • In The Book: Regarding the State Bar Exam…Frank failed twice. The tests are returned with the wrong answers marked, so this helped him pass on the Third Attempt.

    • In The Book: The Feds did catch Frank early on and booked him on a vagrancy charge. He got out on bail via a bondsman named “Bail-Out” Bailey…to which he paid him using a bad check.

    • In The Book: After his subsequent arrest, prison officials become suspicious of his dispassionate demeanor and insinuate that he’s the undercover inspector. Frank fans the flame of that false belief and uses his outside contact privileges to call an old girlfriend and recruit her as an accomplice. According to plan, she calls back from one of two nearby payphones that stand side-by-side regarding a “highly irregular matter that needs Frank’s immediate attention”. The guards verify this by calling a number provided for the proper authorization (the other payphone) and let Frank out. He was eventually rearrested by Canadian Mounties.

    • In Real Life: Frank spent a lot of his youth in and out of jail. He was in a prison in Sweden when he was extradited to the US.

    • In Real Life: When pressed about how much of his story is made up, Frank has stated that he only met with his co-writer 4 times and the co-writer exaggerated a lot of details.

  • Trivia

    • (Cameo) The real life Frank Abagnale, Jr.: The French officer that arrests Frank on Christmas Eve, 1967.

    • The FBI officer who was chasing Frank, and was the main inspiration for “Carl Hanratty,” was really Joe Shea. Frank Abagnale, Jr. used the pseudonym “Sean O’Reilly” in his book because Joe Shea was still in the FBI. He has since passed away. However, In an on line video interview Abagnale said that Hanks met Shea and patterned his performance on him so perfectly that watching Hanks is virtually the same as watching Shea.

    • Until he saw the results of Leonardo DiCaprio’s work, the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. didn’t think DiCaprio was “suave” enough to play him.

    • The newly-filmed clip from “To Tell the Truth” that opens the movie was based on an actual episode in which Frank was a guest. In that episode, not a single panelist correctly guessed that he was the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. This episode of “To Tell the Truth” can be viewed on YouTube.

    • Steven Spielberg was initially reluctant to approach Tom Hanks about taking the part of Carl Hanratty, assuming that he wouldn’t be interested in playing a supporting part at this stage in his career. Hanks put him straight by saying that a good part was a good part no matter the size.

    • The blackboard that Carl Hanratty is writing on toward the end of the movie contains a small note at the bottom that says, “Steven and Tom’s 4th project”. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks had previously collaborated on Band of Brothers (2001), Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Joe Versus the Volcano (1990).

    • In his biography, Abagnale says that if he wanted to “lay down a baby con,” he would lie about his childhood. All the stuff about Abagnale’s dad being a hustler is made up as the real Frank, Sr. was not only a straight shooter, but also one of Frank, Jr.’s first victims, since the kid started his criminal life with petty scams involving his dad’s credit card. He once racked up thousands on a spending spree before his dad got the bill.

    • The first cut of the film was about eighty percent authentic, as quoted at the epilogue of Abagnale’s book. Some scenes were corrected, added and changed as per request of the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. to ensure total authenticity.

    • According to costume designer Mary Zophres, there were about 130 ‘day-players’ (bit part actors) and 3,000-4,000 background extras employed, and Leonardo DiCaprio had 100 costume changes through the film.

    • The opening title sequence is created by the duo Olivier Kuntzel + Florence Deygas. The “stamp style animation” lasts roughly 2 minutes 30 seconds and features silhouettes of the main characters acting out the plot of the film, even down to the smallest details. In a interview, Kuntzel + Deygas described they created this sequence by “stylistically transposing the handmade design of Saul Bass using decidedly modern means” and required that actual rubber stamps be carved out for each character featured.

    • Tom Hanks’s character, Carl Hanratty, was made up for the movie. He is actually an amalgam of several agents who pursued Frank.

    • The book upon which this film was based had been out of print for several years. A new edition was published to coincide with the release of the film. The final chapter of the book was removed from this edition because it conflicted with the ending written for the movie.

    • When Abagnale gets his suit tailored to resemble James Bond, he signs himself as Mr. Fleming. Ian Fleming was the original author of James Bond.

    • This was the seventh movie, in a row, of Tom Hanks to gross over $100m.

    • Cameo: Max Spielberg: Steven Spielberg’s son, sitting behind Leonardo DiCaprio during both parts of the airplane scene.

    • To get her to achieve the way he wanted her to sloppily kiss Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg asked Amy Adams to pretend she was starving to death and eating a cheeseburger.

    • Abagnale’s capture in the movie is represented as a tense standoff in a warehouse where Hanks manages to con the conman. It was somewhat less dramatic in real life when someone saw Abagnale on a wanted poster and recognized him while he was shopping for groceries.

    • According to the real Frank Abagnale, Jr., after he ran out of the courtroom, he never saw, or spoke to his father again. However, Spielberg thought it would make a better story to have him communicate with his father, so they left it in.

    • When Frank begins recruiting decoy flight attendants and he is announcing the girls chosen, he uses the actresses’ real surnames. For example, Miggy Acker is played by actress Amy Acker, Ilene Anderson is played by Jamie Anderson, and so on.

    • When Hanratty arrives at Frank’s room when he’s about to escape with the suitcases full of money, money floats from underneath the door; which is an homage to the “floating feather” in Hanks’ most popular film, Forrest Gump (1994).

Released: December 25, 2002

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Screenplay By:  Jeff Nathanson

Based on the Book:   “Catch Me If You Can” by Frank Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding

Music By: John Williams

Stars:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Nathalie Baye

Plot:  Barely 21 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.

How did this movie do
Budget: $52 Million
Box office: $352 Million

  • At the 75th Academy Awards, Christopher Walken and John Williams were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score.

  • Walken won the same category at the 56th British Academy Film Awards, while Williams, costume designer Mary Zophres and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson received nominations.

  • DiCaprio was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

  • Williams also earned a Grammy Award nomination.
  • In 1981 it was originally announced that Frank would be played by Dustin Hoffman.

  • Steven Spielberg’s original choice for the role of Frank Abagnale, Jr. was Johnny Depp.

  • Spielberg’s original choice for Carl was James Gandolfini.
  • In The Book: When he was young, Frank Jr. got up to some monetary shenanigans in his teen years involving his father’s credit cards. His father tried to enroll him in a school for “wayward boys.”  This is the real reason Frank Jr. ran away from home.

  • In Real Life: According to Abagnale, his first victim was his father, who gave Abagnale a gasoline credit card and a truck and was ultimately liable for a bill amounting to $3,400. Abagnale was only 15 at the time. In his autobiography, Abagnale says, because of this crime, he was sent to a reform school in Westchester County, New York (fitting the description of the Lincolndale Agricultural School) run by Catholic Charities USA.

  • In The Book: Abagnale’s fourth phony career was left out of the movie, though it was illustrated a little when he poses as a teacher for his French class. For one summer semester, Abagnale took on the role of a sociology professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He was well-liked by his students, who found him affable and intelligent. He pulled it off by reading one chapter ahead of them every week, which some pupils found a little odd. BYU advertised in the paper for a sociology professor, Abagnale forged a transcript from Columbia University, and the prestigious university took him on.

  • In The Book: Regarding the plane escape, Abagnale really escaped through the kitchen gallery where food comes on and off the plane, but Redding invented the bathroom detail for the book. Abagnale knew his way around planes fairly well due to his time spent pretending to be a pilot, so he would have known that escape through the toilet was impossible.

  • In The Movie: Family connection is pushed in the movie more than real life. In real life, Frank Jr. had very little to do with his parents after he ran away.

  • In The Book: Regarding the State Bar Exam…Frank failed twice. The tests are returned with the wrong answers marked, so this helped him pass on the Third Attempt.

  • In The Book: The Feds did catch Frank early on and booked him on a vagrancy charge. He got out on bail via a bondsman named “Bail-Out” Bailey…to which he paid him using a bad check.

  • In The Book: After his subsequent arrest, prison officials become suspicious of his dispassionate demeanor and insinuate that he’s the undercover inspector. Frank fans the flame of that false belief and uses his outside contact privileges to call an old girlfriend and recruit her as an accomplice. According to plan, she calls back from one of two nearby payphones that stand side-by-side regarding a “highly irregular matter that needs Frank’s immediate attention”. The guards verify this by calling a number provided for the proper authorization (the other payphone) and let Frank out. He was eventually rearrested by Canadian Mounties.

  • In Real Life: Frank spent a lot of his youth in and out of jail. He was in a prison in Sweden when he was extradited to the US.

  • In Real Life: When pressed about how much of his story is made up, Frank has stated that he only met with his co-writer 4 times and the co-writer exaggerated a lot of details.

  • (Cameo) The real life Frank Abagnale, Jr.: The French officer that arrests Frank on Christmas Eve, 1967.

  • The FBI officer who was chasing Frank, and was the main inspiration for “Carl Hanratty,” was really Joe Shea. Frank Abagnale, Jr. used the pseudonym “Sean O’Reilly” in his book because Joe Shea was still in the FBI. He has since passed away. However, In an on line video interview Abagnale said that Hanks met Shea and patterned his performance on him so perfectly that watching Hanks is virtually the same as watching Shea.

  • Until he saw the results of Leonardo DiCaprio’s work, the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. didn’t think DiCaprio was “suave” enough to play him.

  • The newly-filmed clip from “To Tell the Truth” that opens the movie was based on an actual episode in which Frank was a guest. In that episode, not a single panelist correctly guessed that he was the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. This episode of “To Tell the Truth” can be viewed on YouTube.

  • Steven Spielberg was initially reluctant to approach Tom Hanks about taking the part of Carl Hanratty, assuming that he wouldn’t be interested in playing a supporting part at this stage in his career. Hanks put him straight by saying that a good part was a good part no matter the size.

  • The blackboard that Carl Hanratty is writing on toward the end of the movie contains a small note at the bottom that says, “Steven and Tom’s 4th project”. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks had previously collaborated on Band of Brothers (2001), Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Joe Versus the Volcano (1990).

  • In his biography, Abagnale says that if he wanted to “lay down a baby con,” he would lie about his childhood. All the stuff about Abagnale’s dad being a hustler is made up as the real Frank, Sr. was not only a straight shooter, but also one of Frank, Jr.’s first victims, since the kid started his criminal life with petty scams involving his dad’s credit card. He once racked up thousands on a spending spree before his dad got the bill.

  • The first cut of the film was about eighty percent authentic, as quoted at the epilogue of Abagnale’s book. Some scenes were corrected, added and changed as per request of the real Frank Abagnale, Jr. to ensure total authenticity.

  • According to costume designer Mary Zophres, there were about 130 ‘day-players’ (bit part actors) and 3,000-4,000 background extras employed, and Leonardo DiCaprio had 100 costume changes through the film.

  • The opening title sequence is created by the duo Olivier Kuntzel + Florence Deygas. The “stamp style animation” lasts roughly 2 minutes 30 seconds and features silhouettes of the main characters acting out the plot of the film, even down to the smallest details. In a interview, Kuntzel + Deygas described they created this sequence by “stylistically transposing the handmade design of Saul Bass using decidedly modern means” and required that actual rubber stamps be carved out for each character featured.

  • Tom Hanks’s character, Carl Hanratty, was made up for the movie. He is actually an amalgam of several agents who pursued Frank.

  • The book upon which this film was based had been out of print for several years. A new edition was published to coincide with the release of the film. The final chapter of the book was removed from this edition because it conflicted with the ending written for the movie.

  • When Abagnale gets his suit tailored to resemble James Bond, he signs himself as Mr. Fleming. Ian Fleming was the original author of James Bond.

  • This was the seventh movie, in a row, of Tom Hanks to gross over $100m.

  • Cameo: Max Spielberg: Steven Spielberg’s son, sitting behind Leonardo DiCaprio during both parts of the airplane scene.

  • To get her to achieve the way he wanted her to sloppily kiss Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg asked Amy Adams to pretend she was starving to death and eating a cheeseburger.

  • Abagnale’s capture in the movie is represented as a tense standoff in a warehouse where Hanks manages to con the conman. It was somewhat less dramatic in real life when someone saw Abagnale on a wanted poster and recognized him while he was shopping for groceries.

  • According to the real Frank Abagnale, Jr., after he ran out of the courtroom, he never saw, or spoke to his father again. However, Spielberg thought it would make a better story to have him communicate with his father, so they left it in.

  • When Frank begins recruiting decoy flight attendants and he is announcing the girls chosen, he uses the actresses’ real surnames. For example, Miggy Acker is played by actress Amy Acker, Ilene Anderson is played by Jamie Anderson, and so on.

  • When Hanratty arrives at Frank’s room when he’s about to escape with the suitcases full of money, money floats from underneath the door; which is an homage to the “floating feather” in Hanks’ most popular film, Forrest Gump (1994).

About The Movie From IMDB

Catch Me If You Can Biography, Crime, Drama | December 25, 2002 (United States) 8.1
Director: Steven SpielbergWriter: Jeff Nathanson, Frank Abagnale Jr., Stan ReddingStars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher WalkenSummary: A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit. —yusufpiskin

Photos


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Videos


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Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio
...
Frank Abagnale Jr.
Tom Hanks
...
Carl Hanratty
Christopher Walken
...
Frank Abagnale
Martin Sheen
...
Roger Strong
Nathalie Baye
...
Paula Abagnale
Amy Adams
...
Brenda Strong
James Brolin
...
Jack Barnes
Brian Howe
...
Earl Amdursky
Frank John Hughes
...
Tom Fox
Steve Eastin
...
Paul Morgan
Chris Ellis
...
Special Agent Witkins
John Finn
...
Assistant Director Marsh
Jennifer Garner
...
Cheryl Ann
Nancy Lenehan
...
Carol Strong
Ellen Pompeo
...
Marci
Elizabeth Banks
...
Lucy
Guy Thauvette
...
Warden Garren
Candice Azzara
...
Darcy

See full cast >>
Countries: United States, CanadaLanguages: English, FrenchBudget: $52,000,000 (estimated)
Source: imdb.com
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8.1
Catch Me If You Can Biography, Crime, Drama | December 25, 2002 (United States)
Director: Steven SpielbergWriter: Jeff Nathanson, Frank Abagnale Jr., Stan ReddingStars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
Summary: Barely 21 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
Countries: United States, CanadaLanguages: English, French
Source: imdb.comDisclaimer: This plugin has been coded to automatically quote data from imdb.com. Not available for any other purpose. All showing data have a link to imdb.com. The user is responsible for any other use or change codes.

Quotes

Frank Abagnale Sr.: Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.

Carl Hanratty: [Frank is making one last attempt to run by impersonating a pilot once again. Carl catches up with him at Dulles Airport] How'd you do it, Frank? How'd you pass the bar in Louisiana?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [Frank continues to walk. Carl walks several paces behind] What are you doing here?

Carl Hanratty: Listen...

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'm sorry I put you through all this.

Carl Hanratty: You go back to Europe, you're gonna die in Perpignan Prison. You try to run here in the States, we'll send you back to Atlanta for 50 years.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I know that.

Carl Hanratty: I spent four years trying to arrange your release. Had to convince my bosses at the FBI and the Attorney General of the United States you wouldn't run.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Why'd you do it?

Carl Hanratty: You're just a kid.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'm not your kid. You said you were going to Chicago.

Carl Hanratty: My daughter can't see me this weekend. She's going skiing.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: You said she was four years old. You're lying.

Carl Hanratty: She was four when I left. Now she's 15. My wife's been remarried for 11 years. I see Grace every now and again.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I don't understand.

Carl Hanratty: Sure you do. Sometimes, it's easier living the lie.

[Frank stops, Carl catches up]

Carl Hanratty: I'm going to let you fly tonight, Frank. I'm not even going to try to stop you. That's because I know you'll be back on Monday.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Yeah? How do you know I'll come back?

Carl Hanratty: Frank, look. Nobody's chasing you.

Carl Hanratty: Well, would you like to hear me tell a joke?

Earl Amdursky: Yeah. Yeah, we'd love to hear a joke from you.

Carl Hanratty: Knock knock.

Earl Amdursky: Who's there?

Carl Hanratty: Go fuck yourselves.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: You know why the Yankees always win, Frank?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: 'Cause they have Mickey Mantle?

Frank Abagnale Sr.: No, it's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes.

Doctor Harris: I blew it didn't I? Why didn't I concur?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [whispering to Joanna] Hey... You should fold it.

Joanna: What?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: That note. It's a fake, right? You should fold it.

Joanna: It's... It's a note from my mom. I have a doctor's appointment.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Yeah, but there's no crease in the paper. When your mom hands you a note to miss school, the first thing you do is, you fold it and you put it in your pocket. I mean, if it's real, where's the crease?

[Joanna folds note to give it a crease]

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [In a letter] Dear Dad, you always told me that an honest man has nothing to fear, so I'm trying my best not to be afraid.

[repeated line]

Carl Hanratty: How'd you do it, Frank? How did you cheat on the bar exam in Louisiana?

Kid: More coffee, sir?

[notices paperwork]

Kid: Are you a collector?

Carl Hanratty: Of what?

Kid: Captives of the Cosmic Ray, The Big Freeze, Land of the Golden Giants. I've got em all.

Carl Hanratty: What are you talking about?

Kid: Barry Allen. The Flash.

[walks away]

Carl Hanratty: Wait, kid, kid, kid. You mean like the comic book?

Kid: Yeah, the comic book. When he's not The Flash. That's his name, Barry Allen.

Carl Hanratty: Thank you.

[cut to Carl using a payphone]

Carl Hanratty: Now get this: he reads comic books. Comic books! Barry Allen is The Flash!

Tom Fox: Carl, slow down, slow down. I don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Carl Hanratty: He's a kid. Our unsub is a kid. That's why we couldn't match his prints. That's why he doesn't have a record. Now, I want you to contact the NYPD for every all-points juvenile runaways in New York City. And don't forget the airports. He's been kiting checks all over the country.

Tom Fox: But why New York?

Carl Hanratty: The Yankees! He said something about the Yankees!

Roger Strong: Frank, would you like to say grace?

[Long pause]

Roger Strong: Unless you're not comfortable.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Absolutely. Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned, but the second mouse, he struggled so hard that he eventually churned that cream into butter and he walked out. Amen.

[All say: Amen]

Carol Strong: Oh, that was beautiful. The mouse, he churned that cream into butter.

[Carl is working alone at his desk at the FBI listening to "Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby when his phone rings]

Carl Hanratty: This is Hanratty. Merry Christmas.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Hello, Carl.

[Carl recognizes Frank's voice and turns his radio down]

Carl Hanratty: Hello. Barry Allen, Secret Service.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I've been trying to track you down now for the last couple of hours.

Carl Hanratty: What do you want?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I wanted to apologize for what happened in Los Angeles.

Carl Hanratty: Uh-uh, uh-uh. No, no. You do not apologize to me.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Do you always work on Christmas Eve, Carl?

Carl Hanratty: I volunteered... so men with families could go home early.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Looked like you were wearing a wedding ring out in Los Angeles. I thought maybe you had a family.

Carl Hanratty: No. No family.

[beat]

Carl Hanratty: You want to talk to me? Let's talk face-to-face.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: All right. I'm at my suite at the Stuyvesant Arms, room 3113. In the morning, I leave for Las Vegas for the weekend.

[Carl begins writing this down, but then stops himself]

Carl Hanratty: You think you're gonna get me again? You're not going to Vegas. You're not in the Stuyvesant Arms. You'd love for me to send out 20 agents Christmas Eve, we barge into your hotel, knock on the door so you can make fools out of us all.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'm really sorry if I made a fool out of you. I really am.

Carl Hanratty: Uh-uh. No.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: No, listen, I really am.

Carl Hanratty: No. No. You-- You do not feel sorry for me. The truth is... I knew it was you. Now maybe I didn't get the cuffs on you, but I knew.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Ah, people only know what you tell them, Carl.

Carl Hanratty: Well, then, tell me this, "Barry Allen, Secret Service". How'd you know I wouldn't look in your wallet?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: The same reason the Yankees always win. Nobody can keep their eyes off the pinstripes.

Carl Hanratty: The Yankees win because they have Mickey Mantle. No one ever bets on the uniform.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [chuckles] You sure about that, Carl?

Carl Hanratty: I'll tell you what I am sure of. You're going to get caught. One way or another. It's a mathematical fact. It-- It's like Vegas, the House always wins.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Well, Carl, I'm sorry but I have to go.

Carl Hanratty: [realizes something] Ah, you didn't call just to apologize, did you?

[starts laughing]

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: What do you mean?

Carl Hanratty: [still laughing] You -- you have no one else to call!

[laughs louder]

Carl Hanratty: [Frank hangs up the phone quickly. Back at the FBI, Carl happily turns up his radio and begins singing along. Later, we see Frank exit his hotel room - it is indeed room 3113 at the Stuyvesant Arms, proving Frank was telling Carl the truth]

[last lines]

Carl Hanratty: There's impressions on every line... looks like the original amount was for $60...

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [walks up and takes magnifier] Mind if I take a look?

Carl Hanratty: [looks up] Cashed in Flagstaff a week ago. Cost the bank $16,000.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: It's a real check.

Carl Hanratty: Yeah. Yeah, it's been washed. The only thing original is the signature.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: But it's perfect, Carl. I mean, this isn't hydrochloride or bleach.

Carl Hanratty: No. Something new. Maybe a nail polish remover where the acetone removes the ink that's not been printed?

[long pause]

Carl Hanratty: How did you do it, Frank? How did you cheat on the bar exam in Louisiana?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I didn't cheat. I studied for two weeks and I passed.

Carl Hanratty: Is that the truth, Frank? Is that the truth?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I'll bet this guy steals checks out of mailboxes. He washes off their names and he puts on his own.

Carl Hanratty: You're saying he's a local?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Well, if it were me, you know, I'd call the bank first... check out the balance...

Carl Hanratty: Make sure there's enough money in there to make it worth your while...

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: You know, Carl, I think this guy's pretty smart.

[Carl laughs]

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Now, all we have to do is catch him.

Principal Evans: Mr. and Mrs. Abagnale, this is not a question of your son's attendance. I regret to inform you that, for the past week, Frank has been teaching Mrs. Glasser's French class.

Paula Abagnale: He what?

Principal Evans: Your son has been pretending to be a substitute teacher, lecturing the students, uh, giving out homework, uh. Mrs. Glasser has been ill, there was some confusion with the real sub. Your son held a teacher-parent conference yesterday and was planning a class field trip to a French bread factory in Trenton.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Brenda, I don't want to lie to you anymore. All right? I'm not a doctor. I never went to medical school. I'm not a lawyer, or a Harvard graduate, or a Lutheran. Brenda, I ran away from home a year and a half ago when I was 16.

Brenda Strong: Frank? Frank? You're not a Lutheran?

Paula Abagnale: Just tell me how much he owes and I'll pay you back.

Carl Hanratty: So far, it's about 1.3 million dollars.

Tom Fox: He doesn't have a passport.

Carl Hanratty: For the last six months, he's gone to Harvard and Berkeley. I'm betting he can get a passport.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [as Frank Conners] Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is irrefutable evidence that the defendant is, in fact, lying.

Judge: Mr. Conners, this is a preliminary hearing. There is no... defendant. There is no... jury. It's just me. Son... what in the HELL is wrong with you?

Assistant Director Marsh: [Carl and Mr. Marsh are visiting Frank in prison; Carl hopes to convince the FBI to let Frank out of prison] I'd like for you to take a look at something, tell me what you think.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [Marsh hands Frank a fake check as Carl looks on] It's a fake.

Assistant Director Marsh: How do you know? You haven't looked at it.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: There's no perforated edge, right? This check was hand-cut, not fed. The paper's double-bonded, much too heavy to be a bank check. Magnetic ink, it's raised against my fingers, not flat. This doesn't smell like MICR, it's some kind of, uh, some kind of drafting ink. The kind you get at a stationery store.

Assistant Director Marsh: Frank, would you be interested in working for the FBI's Financial Crimes Unit?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I've already got a job here, you know. I, uh, deliver the mail.

Assistant Director Marsh: Frank, we have the power to take you out of prison. You'd be placed in the custody of the FBI where you'd serve out the remainder of your sentence as an employee of the Federal Government.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Under whose custody?

[Carl raises his hand]

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [when Carl catches up to him in the print shop in Montrichard] Carl? Carl! Merry Christmas! How is it we're always talking on Christmas, Carl? Every Christmas, I'm talking to you!

[laughs]

Carl Hanratty: Put your shirt on, Frank. You're under arrest.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: She's so stubborn, your mother. Don't worry, I won't let her go without a fight. I've been fighting for her since the day we met.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Dad, out of all those men - you were the one who took her home, remember that.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: Two-hundred men sitting in that tiny social hall watching her dance. What was the name of that town?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Montrichard, Dad.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: I didn't speak a word of French, six weeks later she was my wife.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: The truth is I'm not a doctor or a lawyer. I'm not an airline pilot. I'm nothing really. I'm just a kid in love with your daughter.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Stop chasing me!

Carl Hanratty: I can't stop, it's my job.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Christ! Terry! This is Italian knit.

Earl Amdursky: [while Carl is setting the trap for Frank at the Miami airport] Why won't he just take a taxi to New York or Atlanta?

Carl Hanratty: Because *I'm* not in New York. *I'm* not in Atlanta.

Carl Hanratty: Our unknown subject is a paperhanger who started working on the East Coast. In the last few weeks this unsub has developed a new form of check fraud which I'm calling "the float". What he's doing is opening checking accounts at various banks then chaning the MICR ink routing numbers at the bottom of those checks. Next slide, please. This is a map of the 12 banks of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Slide. MICR scanners at every bank read these numbers at the bottom of the check - slide - and they ship that check off to its corresponding branch.

Special Agent Witkins: Carl, for those of us who are unfamiliar with bank fraud you mind telling us what the hell you're talking about?

Carl Hanratty: The East Coast branches are numbered zero-one to zero-six. The central branch is zero-seven, zero-eight so on, so forth.

Special Agent Witkins: You mean the numbers at the bottom of a check actually mean something?

Carl Hanratty: All of this was in the report I filed two days ago. If you change a zero-two to a one-two that means a check, which was cashed in New York Federal Branch but it is rerouted all the way to San Francisco Federal Branch. The bank doesn't even know the check has bounced for two weeks, which means our unsub can stay in one place, paper the same city over and over again, while his checks circle the country.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [of the FBI] Carl, how long do I have to work here?

Carl Hanratty: 7:15 in the morning, 4:00 in the afternoon, 45 minutes for lunch.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I mean, how long?

Carl Hanratty: Every day. Every day, Frank, until we let you go.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: Where's your mother?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: I don't know. She said something about going to look for a job.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: What's she gonna be, a shoe salesman at a centipede farm?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: [donning a James Bond style suit and mimicking Sean Connery in the mirror] Hello, Pussy.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: Do you know what would happen if the IRS found out I was driving around in a new coupe? I took the train here, Frank. I'm taking the train home.

Carl Hanratty: But, sir, we're gonna let him get away.

Assistant Director Marsh: No, Carl, you let him get away.

Carl: I love my job!

Sentencing Judge: taking into account the gravity of these crimes, your history of bold and elusive behavior, and your complete lack of respect for the laws of the United States. I have no choice but to ignore your request to be treated as a minor, and sentence you to twelve years in Atlanta's maximum security prison, and recommend strongly that you be kept in isolation for the entirety of that sentence.

[LAST TITLE CARD]: Frank and Carl remain close friends to this day.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Dr. Harris, do you concur?

Doctor Harris: Yes?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Do you concur?

Doctor Harris: [confused] Concur with what, sir?

Roger Strong: A doctor, a lawyer, a Lutheran. So what are you, Frank? 'Cause I think you're about to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage and I have a right to know.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Know what, sir?

Roger Strong: The truth. Tell me the truth, Frank. What are you doing here? What is a man like you doing with Brenda? If you want my blessing, if you want my daughter, I'd like to hear it from you now.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: The truth is, sir, that... The truth is that... I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer, I'm not an airline pilot. I'm... I'm nothing, really. I'm-I'm-I'm just a kid who's in love with your daughter.

Roger Strong: [beat] No.

[sits down next to him, his demeanor still stern]

Roger Strong: You know what you are?

[brightens]

Roger Strong: You're a romantic. Men like us are nothing without the women we love. I must confess, I'm guilty of the same foolish whimsy. I proposed to Carol after five dates with two nickels in my pockets and holes in my shoes because I knew she was the one.

[stands]

Roger Strong: So, go ahead, Frank. Don't be afraid. Ask the question you came here to ask me.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Sir, uh, uh... w-what would I have to do to take the bar here in New Orleans?

[Roger chuckles a bit]

Roger Strong: No, the -- the other question.

[smiles, looks expectant]

[LAST TITLE CARD]: Frank Abagnale Jr. has been married for 26 years. He has three sons and lives a quiet life in the Midwest.

[LAST TITLE CARD]: Since his release from prison in 1974, Frank has helped the FBI capture some of the world's elusive check forgers and counterfeiters, and is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on bank fraud and forgery.

[LAST TITLE CARD]: Frank has also designed many of the secure checks that banks and fortune 500 companies use every day.

[LAST TITLE CARD]: For his services, these companies pay Frank Abagnale Jr. millions of dollars a year.

[Carl is looking around Frank Abagnale Sr.'s apartment, when he comes through the door]

Frank Abagnale Sr.: [annoyed] Make yourself at home!

Carl Hanratty: Frank Abagnale Sr.?

Frank Abagnale Sr.: You're not a cop!

Carl Hanratty: [flashes credentials] Special Agent Hanratty, FBI.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: [now calmer] You're not a cop! My landlord told me you were not a cop. Well, if you're going to arrest me, I'd like to put on a different suit if that's okay with you.

Carl Hanratty: No, no. I'm not here to arrest you. I'm looking for your son. He's in trouble. Do you know where he is?

Frank Abagnale Sr.: If I tell you where he is, will you promise not to tell his mother?

Carl Hanratty: Sure.

Frank Abagnale Sr.: Frank made a fake I.D. and enlisted in the Marine Corps. He's over in Vietnam right now. That kid is halfway around the world, crawling through the damn jungle, fighting the Communists so... please, don't come to my home and call my boy a criminal, because that kid has more guts...

Carl Hanratty: I never said he was a criminal, Mr. Abagnale. I said he was in trouble. If you'd like to give me a call and talk, here's my number.

[Carl grabs a pen from a table filled with letters and writes down his information. As he peers down, he sees a letter from Frank giving his location as Riverbend Apartments, Atlanta, Georgia]

Frank Abagnale Sr.: You're not a father, are you?

Carl Hanratty: [looks back up] Pardon me?

Frank Abagnale Sr.: If you were a father, you'd know. I would never give up my son. I would never give up my son.

Carl Hanratty: Yes, sir. I understand.

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