History YMMV / CatchMeIfYouCan

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: We're used to Creator/JohnWilliams creating bombastic, thrilling orchestral music. Here, he goes with a jazzy, Creator/HenryMancini inspired score and ''makes it work''.

* MagnificentBastard: Abagnale were able to con banks and the government for millions, con his way into lucrative jobs and evaded the FBI several times, often under their noses. All before he turned nineteen.

* ValuesDissonance: Due to the time period, no one comments on the fact that [[spoiler:Frank by seducing older women could have gotten them in trouble on charges of statutory rape, since he only turns nineteen at the end of the movie.]]

* MisaimedFandom: A bit of dislike is aimed towards Brenda for [[spoiler:cooperating with the FBI in helping to catch Frank.]] Except [[spoiler:she found out that the man she lives is a "boy" and a con artist that lied to her about everything, including that he was a Lutheran and he ran out of their engagement party, leaving her family to deal with the cops. Yes Frank was upset, but Brenda would have been committing treason otherwise and she had no reason to trust her fiancee.]]

* TheWoobie: Poor Brenda. The very first ''moment'' Frank sees her...she's crying over a mistake she just got called out on.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: We're used to JohnWilliams creating bombastic, thrilling orchestral music. Here, he goes with a jazzy, HenryMancini inspired score and ''makes it work''.

** Also, [[spoiler:Frank finding out his father died and that his mother has re-married and started a new family. Upon being told by Carl that his father is dead, Frank breaks down sobbing in the bathroom, and when he finds out he has a half-sister from his mother and the man she left his father for, he asks Frank to take him away. He's that broken.]].

** Frank as well. Unable to choose between which parent to live with, he ran away from home and turned to a life of crime to support himself, wasn't able to settle down with Brenda, and was left shaken and broken [[spoiler:after learning his father had died in an accident and his mother had re-married and started a new family without Frank's knowledge]]. Poor guy. At least things start looking up for him right at the end.

** Also, [[spoiler:Frank finding out his father died and that his mother has re-married and started a new family]].

* AwardSnub: While the movie was a box office hit and a critical favorite, it didn't rack up a lot of nominations. Partly because it was viewed as a low-key work for Spielberg who by that time was making one epic movie after another. His other 2002 film, ''Film/MinorityReport'', was similarly snubbed despite universal acclaim and box office success.
** Most notably, fans of [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]] will point to this as one of his more joyous performances, and will say that this would have made for a great nomination.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The one scene where Frank's family watches Sing Along with Mitch qualifies as this. Bonus points for the song they used being an EarWorm: "Has anybody here seen Kelly? K-E double L-Y..."

* DracoInLeatherPants: The RealLife Frank Abagnale Jr. felt that the movie did this to him, giving the "character" a more sympathetic backstory. Abagnale [[WordOfGod went on record]] saying he pulled the cons he did, [[WellDoneSonGuy not to impress his father]], [[ItAmusedMe but because he could.]]

* AwardSnub: While the movie was a box office hit and a critical favorite, it didn't rack up a lot of nominations. Partly because it was viewed as a low-key work for Spielberg who by that time was making one epic movie after another. His other 2002 film, ''MinorityReport'', was similarly snubbed despite universal acclaim and box office success.
** Most notably, fans of [[LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]] will point to this as one of his more joyous performances, and will say that this would have made for a great nomination.

* AwardSnub: While the movie was a box office hit and a critical favorite, it didn't rack up a lot of nominations. Partly because it was viewed as a low-key work for Spielberg who by that time was making one epic movie after another.

* DracoInLeatherPants: The RealLife Frank Abagnale Jr. felt that the movie did this to him, giving the "character" a more sympathetic backstory. Abagnale [[WordOfGod went on record]] saying he pulled the cons he did, not to impress his father, [[ItAmusedMe but because he could.]]

** Most notably, fans of DiCaprio will point to this as one of his more joyous performances, and will say that this would have made for a great nomination.

* DracoInLeatherPants: The RealLife Frank Abagnale Jr. felt that the movie did this to him, giving the "character" a more sympathetic backstory. Abagnale [[WordOfGod wen on record]] saying he pulled the cons he did, not to impress his father, [[ItAmusedMe but because he could.]]

* DracoInLeatherPants: The RealLife Frank Abagnale Jr., felt that the movie did this to him, giving the "character" a more sympathetic backstory. Abagnale [[WordOfGod wen on record]] saying he pulled the cons he did, not to impress his father, [[ItAmusedMe but because he could.]]

* TearJerker: Frank's father breaking down in tears while remembering seeing Frank's mother onstage in a little town in France when he was a soldier during WWII and marrying her weeks later.

TearJerker: Frank's father breaking down in tears while remembering seeing Frank's mother onstage in a little town in France when he was a soldier during WWII and marrying her weeks later.

** Also, [[spoiler:Frank finding out his father died and that his mother has re-married and started a new family]].