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.

Gore Verbinski pushed production back a few months because Leonardo DiCaprio had to re-shoot scenes for Gangs of New York (2002), The delay led to James Gandolfini's withdrawal, because he had to go back to work on "The Sopranos" (1999). He was replaced by Tom Hanks. David Fincher, Cameron Crowe and Lasse Hallstr?m were asked to direct before Steven Spielberg, who only wanted to produce the movie, took over.

Carl Hanratty:
Well, would you like to hear me tell a joke?


Earl Amdursky:
Yeah. Yeah, we'd love to hear a joke from you.


Carl Hanratty:
Knock knock.


Earl Amdursky:
Who's there?


Carl Hanratty:
Go fuck yourselves.

Anachronisms: The fire alarm system in the hospital dates from the late '80s and early '90s.

Written by Paul Alter & Robert Israel