Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can ★★½ 2002 (PG-13)
Spielberg's lightweight, entertaining, but overly lengthy flick follows the exploits of Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), who, starting at age 16, eluded the FBI (in the person of Carl Hanratty, played by Hanks) while passing bad checks in the guise of airline pilot, doctor, lawyer, and college professor in the early ’60s. Frank's journey starts when his perfect suburban life is turned upside-down by the divorce of his parents and his dad's (Walken) trouble with the IRS. DiCaprio is chameleonlike in his portrayal of Frank, as befits the role, but takes it further by looking every age he's supposed to be. Hanks make the most of what could've been a thankless role as Frank's workaholic pursuer/father figure, but Walken stands out as the broken father who, with more chutzpah and luck, might've been what Junior became. Based on the real Frank Abagnale, Jr's memoirs. 140m/C VHS, DVD . US Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Nathalie Baye, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, James Brolin, Jennifer Garner, Frank John Hughes, Steve Eastin, Chris Ellis, John Finn, Brian Howe; D: Steven Spielberg; W: Jeff Nathanson; C: Janusz Kaminski; M: John Williams. British Acad. ’02: Support. Actor (Walken); Natl. Soc. Film Critics ’02: Support. Actor (Walken); Screen Actors Guild ’02: Support. Actor (Walken).