* At the beginning of the movie, the French inmates cheering Frank on as he tries to escape the prison. They probably have no idea who he is or what he's in for — he's a foreigner and he was in an isolated cell — but they're banging on the chain-link fence and whistling and screaming "Allez! Allez!" ("Go! Go!") They're just happy to see ''someone'' making a run for it.
* Carl volunteering to work longer in Christmas Eve so his men could go home earlier.
** In his own way, Frank calling Carl on Christmas Eve various times, trying to apologize and being friendly about it. Subverted in that Carl doesn't buy it, thinking that Frank is either taunting him or getting scared that Carl's getting too close to catching him. Heck, the fact that on the first call, Frank wasn't lying about his location. He seemed genuine in giving Hanratty a lead.
** When Frank is in jail, Hanratty is his only visitor. (Even his mother doesn't come, as far as we know.) He comes on Christmas, bearing gifts and reassurances for the depressed inmate. Hanratty was determined to catch him but sympathetic about how Frank wasn't really running away from him, but rather his broken family.
* After getting caught by the school for faking being a substitute French teacher, Frank's dad comes out of the principal's office with a stern look. But once Frank's mom storms out of view, the senior Frank shares a sly smile with his son for the sheer audacity of his stunt.
* Frank Sr. goes PapaWolf when Hanratty comes to his doorstep asking about Frank. He gives a lie about his son has run off to fight in Vietnam. It doesn't work, since Hanratty finds an envelope with a key address, but he acknowledges Frank Sr. saying that every parent would protect their child.
* Frank becoming a doctor just so he could help out Brenda, a pretty nurse having a hard time getting adjusted to working at that hospital.
* For all his sins, Frank legitimately helped Brenda repair her relationship with her parents. The three of them sitting on the couch, joyfully singing along with a television program, Brenda hugging her father like all is forgiven, is really quite lovely to see.
* Hanratty schedules a job interview for Frank with an FBI representative. He didn't have to, but figured that the FBI could use Frank's expertise, and Frank needs some direction.
* Carl confronting a bored and unhappy Frank who's attempting one more run as a fake pilot rather than keep working for the FBI, and then letting him go flee saying "I'm not chasing you anymore," but makes it clear if Frank doesn't come back to work the next week he loses his probation and gets sent back to jail for good. Next week comes around and Carl is honestly worried that Frank violated his probation, but when Frank quietly slips in to give his advice on an impressive bounced check Carl is genuinely relieved.