Common Sense Media Review
Iffy messages in fun account of youngest FBI's Most Wanted.
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Why Age 13+?
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Catch Me If You Can
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 40 parent reviews
Based on 88 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is highly entertaining, showcasing a captivating true story that combines humor, drama, and crime, highlighted by strong performances, particularly from Leonardo DiCaprio. However, many reviews caution that it contains significant mature content, including sexual themes, swearing, and some violence, making it more suitable for older teens or adults rather than younger viewers.
- entertaining story
- strong performances
- mature content
- inappropriate for kids
- true story
- engaging themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) adores his parents. His father (Christopher Walken) relies on using an angle to get what he wants and employs his teen son in his scams. But eventually, Frank Sr. gets the family into serious financial trouble. When Frank Jr. is 16, his parents get divorced, and he's told to choose which one he will live with. He can't handle it and runs away. Like a child, he thinks he can recreate the perfect world he once thought he had. But he has one very un-childlike quality: an astonishing eye for detail. Combined with the charm and panache he learned from his father, the ability to appear innocent, and youthful fearlessness (he just doesn't know how outrageous his scams are), Frank becomes one of the most successful con artists in history, impersonating a pilot, lawyer, and doctor, all while committing over $4 million in check fraud. But this hardly goes unnoticed, especially by the dogged FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). It's only a matter of time before Frank's misdeeds catch up with him.
Is It Any Good?
Part period piece, part chase film, part drama, Steven Spielberg's movie about the youngest person ever to make the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List is terrifically entertaining. It's set in the candy-colored ring-a-ding 1960s, when jet pilots were glamorous and even bank tellers in big cities had a small-town belief in the honesty of someone cashing a check, especially if he had a charming smile. This is the 1960s of big hair, smooth surfaces, and bikinis, fueled by martini music like Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me."
Every single element of this movie works brilliantly together, and the result is as irresistible as its con artist hero. The screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (based on Abagnale's own book) is excellent, as crafty as its subject and with just the right touch of heart. Hanks, as the FBI agent who chases, admires, and ultimately inspires Frank, makes each moment on screen a small masterpiece. DiCaprio captures viewers from his first moment as an awkward 13-year-old to his sheer pleasure in his own ability to master the adult world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Frank and Carl's relationship in Catch Me If You Can. How did they feel about each other at different times in the movie? How were Frank Sr. and Carl like opposing father figures in Frank's life?
What are the challenges in making a movie inspired by actual events? Where do you think the movie heightened the action, drama, and tension? What about the source material, which has been largely debunked—how might Frank have embellished his life to make a good story and sell more books? Does it impact your enjoyment when a film that's "based on a true story" has been highly dramatized/fictionalized?
Do you think this movie glamorizes Frank's misdeeds? What are some other examples of movies in which outlaws or antiheroes seem to earn a kind of respect and admiration due to the audacity of their actions and their gifts at escaping from authority? What do you see as the appeal in movies centered on characters like these?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : May 6, 2003
- Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hanks , Christopher Walken
- Director : Steven Spielberg
- Studio : DreamWorks
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History ( Biopic ) , Transportation ( Planes )
- Run time : 141 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual content and brief language
- Awards : Academy Award - Other Category Nominee , BAFTA - BAFTA Winner , BAFTA - BAFTA Nominee , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Nominee
- Last updated : June 1, 2026
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