Line #2 Trivia/CatchMeIfYouCan


1	* ApprovalOfGod: Despite reservations about Leonardo [=DiCaprio=]'s casting at first, the real Frank approved of the movie and called it "80% true".
2	* AllStarCast: Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and Creator/TomHanks play the leads. Creator/ChristopherWalken plays [=DiCaprio=]'s father in an Oscar nominated performance. Creator/MartinSheen plays the father of the woman [=DiCaprio=]'s character wants to marry, played by a pre-fame Creator/AmyAdams.
3	* CaliforniaDoubling: Many location shots, both interior, and exterior, were done in the Los Angeles area, particularly for the Florida scenes. The scenes set in France were filmed in Montreal and Quebec City.
4	* CareerResurrection: For Leonardo [=DiCaprio=] alongside ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' (also released in 2002). Unlike Gangs, where Creator/DanielDayLewis' Bill the Butcher was credited for carrying the film, Leonardo was clearly the central lead and star of ''Catch Me If You Can'' (albeit supported by Creator/ChristopherWalken and Creator/TomHanks in supporting turns). Frank Abagnale was a more complex character than Amsterdam Vallon (a rather classic Hero's Journey AudienceSurrogate). Both films by major directors proved that Leonardo was more than a pretty face made famous by ''Film/Titanic1997''. With ''Catch Me If You Can'' showing his range in a part that calls him to shift from comic to dramatic registers while also taking his usual romantic leading role characters and giving it a darker edge. More than that, ''Catch Me If You Can'' was a major commercial success unlike ''Gangs of New York'' which made a smaller profit than expected and both films set the stage for him to establish himself as one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation in the years that followed.
5	* DawsonCasting: Frank ages from 16 to his early twenties over the course of the film; he was played by a 27-year-old Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio. Justified in that the real Frank Abagnale looked older than his age, which was how he got away with many of his scams, and it's invoked in the movie when Hanratty's initial profiling of Abagnale after their first encounter includes being age 26 -- 30. In fact, [=DiCaprio=] arguably looks ''younger'' than Abagnale at the same age; [[https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/leo-e1490715536149.png?strip=all&w=960 here's]] a comparison of the real 29-year-old Abagnale on ''To Tell the Truth'' compared to 27-year-old [=DiCaprio=] in the digital recreation of the show.
6	* DevelopmentHell: The movie was in development long enough that the rights defaulted back to Frank Abagnale numerous times, with a six-figure sum usually attached for the trouble. He couldn't help but laugh at the irony that he was making money for ''not'' making a film.
7	* HeyItsThatPlace: Mrs. Abagnale's house, after she remarried, was the same house used for ''Film/FatherOfTheBride1991''.
8	* InMemoriam: The film's credits include one to [=producer/director=] Bruce Paltrow, who tragically passed away shortly before the film's release. Steven Spielberg considered Bruce his best friend over the years; Bruce gave away Creator/KateCapshaw at their wedding and Steven is godfather to Bruce's daughter Creator/GwynethPaltrow.
9	* ReferencedBy:
10	** In ''Literature/TheresMoreThanOneWayHome'', Val and Anna both like ''Catch Me If You Can''.
11	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E18CatchEmIfYouCan Catch 'Em if You Can]]''. Not only the title is an allusion to the film, there's also a musical montage as a parody of the film's animated opening titles, complete with the same music.
12	* StarMakingRole: Oddly averted for Creator/AmyAdams, who despite being prominently featured as Frank's girlfriend had to wait until ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' some years later to become an A-lister. Spielberg actually cast her in order to make that star, and said he was crushed when her career didn't take off immediately. According to Amy herself, she didn't work for a full year afterwards until ''{{Film/Junebug}}'' and the subsequent Oscar nomination came along.
13	* ThrowItIn: When filming the scene where Frank meets his father in a fancy restaurant and Frank Sr. reminisces about meeting Frank's mother (who he is now divorced from) in France during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Creator/ChristopherWalken did the first few takes straight. Then during one take Walken suddenly broke down crying. Spielberg was so moved that he used it in the movie.
14	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
15	** Creator/JohnnyDepp was the original choice for Frank.
16	** Creator/JamesGandolfini was originally cast as Carl Hanratty, but had to drop out due to his commitment to ''Series/TheSopranos''.
17	** When it appeared that Creator/GoreVerbinski would direct, Creator/ChloeSevigny was cast as Brenda Strong and Creator/EdHarris was cast as Frank Abagnale Sr. Creator/CameronCrowe, Creator/DavidFincher and Creator/MilosForman were also considered.

Context Trivia / CatchMeIfYouCan