Catch Me If You Can (2002)

NEUTRAL

Various

97%

PG-13

2002, Crime/Comedy, 2h 20m

RT Critics’ Score: 96% (UNBIASED)
RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 46 nominations total

Click to Stream

Critics Consensus

With help from a strong performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life wunderkind con artist Frank Abagnale, Steven Spielberg crafts a film that’s stylish, breezily entertaining, and surprisingly sweet.

Audience Consensus

If you’re looking for a movie that’s got it all – charm, wit, and a killer performance by Leo DiCaprio – then “Catch Me If You Can” is the flick for you. Spielberg really outdid himself with this one, creating a film that’s both stylish and sweet, with just the right amount of breezy entertainment to keep you hooked from start to finish. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good con artist story? So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to be thoroughly entertained.

Storyline

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.

Production Company(ies)
Dreamworks Pictures, Kemp Company, Splendid Pictures,

Distributor
DreamWorks SKG

Release Type
Theatrical

Filming Location(s)
Alcatraz Prison, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and brief language

Year of Release
2002

Technical Specs

Color:

Color
Sound mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
Aspect ratio:

1.85 : 1
Runtime:

2h 20m
Language(s):

English, French
Country of origin:

United States
Release date:

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2002 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 6, 2003

Genre(s)
Crime/Comedy

Keyword(s)

Box Office Details

Worldwide gross: $352,114,312
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $584,003,622
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 233
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 63,686,327

US/Canada gross: $164,615,351
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $273,024,861
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 227
US/Canada opening weekend: $30,053,627
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $49,845,821
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 232

Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $52,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $86,245,254
Production budget ranking: 480
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $46,443,069
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $451,315,299
ROI to date (est.): 340%
ROI ranking: 410

Cast & Crew

Frank Abagnale Sr.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Frank W. Abagnale
Tom Hanks – FBI Agent Carl Hanratty
Christopher Walken –

Steven Spielberg

Jeff Nathanson

Steven Spielberg

Walter F. Parkes

Director

Writer

Producer

Director(s)
Steven Spielberg

Writer(s)
Jeff Nathanson, Frank Abagnale Jr., Stan Redding

Producer(s)
Steven Spielberg, Walter F. Parkes

Film Festivals

Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 46 nominations total

Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees

Top Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Nell Minow

Geoff Andrew

Sara Michelle Fetters

Paul Byrnes

Outlook

Common Sense Media

Time Out

MovieFreak.com

Sydney Morning Herald

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
All Critics (202) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (193) | Rotten (9)
A hugely watchable film that disappoints nonetheless.

January 3, 2019 | Rating: 2/4

Namrata Joshi
Outlook
TOP CRITIC
Excellent account of FBI’s youngest Most Wanted.

December 22, 2010 | Rating: 5/5

Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
This is the director’s most likeable film in ages, even if it’s insubstantial, overlong and, frankly, a touch redundant.

June 24, 2006

Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Arguably the most gifted young actor of his generation, Leonardo DiCaprio has definitely been a victim of his own success. Leo bashing was all the rage there for a while after his monster smash Titanic.

June 19, 2003 | Rating: 3/4

Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
Hanratty isn’t a strictly factual character – he’s called O’Reilly in the book, not his real name either – but the performance Hanks gives makes you wish he were. Abagnale isn’t strictly factual either, but DiCaprio makes him an attractive counterfeit.

March 7, 2003

Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
This is a delectable film indeed.

March 4, 2003 | Rating: 4/4

Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Catch Me If You Can is probably one of the best films amongst Spielberg’s minor titles, saying more positively about the man’s talent than it says anything negatively about the film.

April 15, 2021

Jim Rohner
Battleship Pretension
The film is amusing. Legitimately so. This is perhaps as anti-establishment as one can expect Spielberg to be …

February 16, 2021

David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
The lighthearted tone and smart pacing allow for unwavering entertainment, plenty of natural humor, and Spielberg’s knack for sympathizing with antiheroes.

September 29, 2020 | Rating: 8/10

Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Catch Me If You Can, aided by strong performances, makes for an entertaining addition into the Steven Spielberg filmography.

July 7, 2020 | Rating: 4/5

Danielle Solzman
Solzy at the Movies
What can I say, but catch it. Catch it now. Catch it again. By hook or by crook, just catch, Catch Me If You Can.

November 7, 2019

Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
Long and complex, the agility with which Spielberg directs the story of Frank Abagnale performed with incredible naturalness, promptness and charisma by Leonardo DiCaprio. [Full Review in Spanish]

August 31, 2019

Sergio Benítez
Espinof…

Plot
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.

Trivia