Catch Me If You Can

Synopsis: New Rochelle, the 1960s. High schooler Frank Abagnale Jr. idolizes his father, who's in trouble with the IRS. When his parents separate, Frank runs away to Manhattan with $25 in his checking account, vowing to regain dad's losses and get his parents back together. Just a few years later, the FBI tracks him down in France; he's extradited, tried, and jailed for passing more than $4,000,000 in bad checks. Along the way, he's posed as a Pan Am pilot, a pediatrician, and an attorney. And, from nearly the beginning of this life of crime, he's been pursued by a dour FBI agent, Carl Hanratty. What starts as cat and mouse becomes something akin to father and son.
Director(s): Steven Spielberg
Production: DreamWorks SKG
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 41 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.1
Metacritic:
75
Rotten Tomatoes:
96%
PG-13
Year:
2002
141 min
$164,400,000
Website
7,819 Views


Thank you very much

and welcome

to To Tell the Truth.

Our first guest,

he's made a career

out of being

the most outrageous impostor

that we've ever come across

on this show

and you're going to see

what I mean.

Number One

what is your name, please?

My name is

Frank William Abagnale.

Number Two?

My name is

Frank William Abagnale.

Number Three?

My name is

Frank William Abagnale.

"From 1964 to 1967

"I successfully impersonated

"an airline pilot

for Pan Am Airways

"and I flew over

two million miles for free.

"During that time, I was also

the chief resident pediatrician

"at a Georgia hospital

"and an assistant

attorney general

"for the state of Louisiana.

"By the time I was caught,

I was considered

"the youngest and most daring

con man in U.s. history.

"I had cashed almost $4 million

in fraudulent checks

"in 26 foreign countries

and all 50 states.

"And I did it all

before my 19th birthday.

My name is

Frank William Abagnale."

You don't know how

to tell the truth...

You don't know how

to tell the truth...

so, for the first time

he's going to have

to tell the truth

and we're going to start

our questioning with Kitty.

Thank you. Number One,

why, with all your talent...

and you're obviously

a very bright fellow...

why didn't you go in

for a legitimate profession?

It was really a question

of dollars and cents.

When I was a young man,

I needed the money

and I thought

this list of careers

was the easiest way to get it.

I see.

Number Two, I find this all

very fascinating.

Who was it

that finally caught you?

His name was Carl Hanratty.

Han-an-an-ratty.

Ratty.

Hanratty.

Han-ratty.

Carl Hanratty.

- Yes.

- I...

am... Carl Hanratty.

I represent the FBI from

the United states of America.

Yeah. I have orders

to see the American

prisoner, Abagnale.

You sit here.

You do not open the door.

You do not pass him...

anything through the hole.

Aw... Jesus.

You know, I've got

a little bit of a cold myself.

- Frank...

I'm here to read

the articles of extradition

according to the

European Court for Human Rights.

"Article One:

Extradition shall be granted

"in respect of offenses

punishable under the laws..."

elp me.

"...for the maximum period

of at least one year

of a severe penalty."

Help me.

Frank... stop it.

Help me.

You don't think actually

you can fool me, do you?

stay with me.

Article Two:

"If the request for extradition

"includes several separate

offenses

each of which is punishable

under the laws..."

"of the requesting party..."

Frank?

Frank?

Goddamn it!

- Get me a doctor in here!

- I need a doctor!

- Yes.

Doctor! Now!

Don't sweat it, Frank.

We're going to get you

right to a doctor.

Frank, if you can

hear me, don't worry.

I'm going to take you

home in the morning.

Home in the morning, Frank.

What are you doing?

Washing off the lice.

This man has to be on a plane

for America.

He has to see a doctor.

The doctor comes in tomorrow.

I have worked too long, too hard

for you to take this

away from me.

If he dies,

I'm holding you responsible.

Monsieur!

Ah, Frank.

Okay, Carl...

let's go home.

MAN:

The New Rochelle Rotary Club

has a history

that goes back to 1919.

In all those years

we've only seen a handful

of deserving gentlemen

inducted as lifetime members.

It's an honor that, uh

that has seen 57 names enshrined

on the wall of honor

and tonight, we make it 5:

so please stand as I present

my very good friend

a man who keeps

our pencils sharp...

and our pens in ink...

Frank William Abagnale.

I stand here humbled

by the presence

of Mayor Robert Wagner...

...and our club president,

Jack Barnes.

Most of all, I'm honored to see

my loving wife Paula...

...and my son, Frank Jr...

Frank... Aw, stand up.

Come on...

...sitting in the front row.

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.

You're a better dancer

than your father, Frankie.

You hear that, Daddy?

Like fun.

The girls don't know

what they're in for.

show him the dance

you were doing when we met.

Ah, who can remember?

The people

in that little French village

were so happy to see Americans

they decided

to put on a show for us.

so they crammed 200 soldiers...

Yeah, we know the story, Daddy.

...into that tiny social hall

and the first person

to walk onstage

is your mother,

and she starts to dance.

You know, it had been months

since we'd even seen a woman

and here's this blonde angel.

Blonde bombshell.

And the men are literally

holding their breath.

Holding their breath for you.

You hear that?

Mm-hmm.

And I turned to my buddies

and I said...

"I will not leave France

without her."

And I didn't.

You didn't.

I didn't.

Oh, sh*t! Oh, sh*t, the rug!

Aw, Mom...

I can't believe I did that.

No, no, it's nothing.

It's nothing.

Oh, Frankie, Frankie,

get a towel.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Paula...

Come on.

My sweet embraceable you...

Dance with me, Paula.

Ah...

Whenever I dance for you

I get in trouble.

Watch this.

Oh!

Frank! Wake up.

Come on, let's go!

Get up. Come on, come on.

Frank, wake up.

Dad...

You don't have to go

to school today.

It's okay.

Rate this script:3.5 / 2 votes

Jeff Nathanson

Jeff Nathanson was born on October 12, 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for his work on Catch Me If You Can (2002), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and The Terminal (2004). more…

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