Name: ______________________

_____ / 25: Communication

Catch-me-if-you-Can: Worksheet
Catch me if you Can is inspired by the true story of the F.B.I.s hunt for a brilliant master of deception: Frank Abagnale, Jr. who posed as a pilot, lawyer and doctor. The key players in the movie are Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), Carl Hanratty-FBI agent (Hanks) & Frank Abagnale Sr. (Walken).
1.

In point form, outline the financial troubles that Frank Abagnale Sr. and his family have at the beginning of the movie. ___/2

2.

Keep a running list of each scam that Frank Abagnale Jr. accomplishes, and a brief explanation. Description of how he defrauds people/organizations.

Scam

____/10
3.

Explain how Frank Abagnale Jr. tries to bring happiness to his father again; does it work? ___/2

4.

On the surface level, it appears that Frank Abagnale Jr. is bad, and Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is good. However, describe what underlying problems they both deal with. ___/4

5.

Frank Abagnale Jr. calls Carl Hanratty on Christmas Eve; why does he do this? ___/2

6.

By defrauding literally hundreds of people, Frank Abagnale Jr. had anything he wanted, or almost anything. What was missing in his life and how did it affect him? ___/4

7. Give an example from the movie for each situation where Franks fraudulent activities: a. only affected the finances of a large business.

b. directly affected the lives of people around him.

c. negatively affected his own personal life.

___/3

Name: ______________________

_____ / 25: Communication

Catch-me-if-you-Can: Personal Response

Catch me if you Can is inspired by the true story of the F.B.I.s hunt for a brilliant master of deception: Frank Abagnale, Jr. who posed as a pilot, lawyer and doctor. The key players in the movie are Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), Carl Hanratty-FBI agent (Hanks) & Frank Abagnale Sr. (Walken).

In a word-processing program, write a personal response to each of the following questions. You need to write in full sentences and communicate your ideas clearly. 1) Research the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr.
d. e. f. 2) 3)

List two pieces of information that were not clearly explained in the movie. ___/3 What consequences did Abagnale serve for his fraudulent life-style? Be specific. ___/4 What is he doing now? Be specific. ___/4

What were your thoughts on the movie? Speak freely and honestly! ___/4 In an interview after the making of Catch me if you Can, Abagnale says, I would be lying if I said I didnt enjoy my previous lifeit was a lot of fun. But I wouldnt do it again. What comes to your mind when you hear this statement? ___/5

4) Is Abagnale to be blamed for his actions, or was it a result of hardships faced as a child? ___/5 ___________________________________________________________________________________ _ Excerpt from: http://www.dreamworks.com/catchthem/lf-prdnts_text1.html

"Catch Me If You Can" is based on Abagnale's autobiography of the same name, which chronicles how he-as a runaway teenager, without so much as a high school diploma-managed to pass himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a college professor, all while cashing millions of dollars in fraudulent checks. Frank Abagnale offers, "It begins with my parents' divorce and its dramatic effect on me. I ran away and suddenly found myself a teenager alone in the world. I had to grow up very quickly and become very creative in order to survive. But what started out as survival became more and more of a game. I was an opportunist, so when I saw an opening I asked myself, 'Could I get away with that?' Then there was the satisfaction of actually getting away with it. The more I got away with, the more of a game it became-a game I knew I would ultimately lose, but a game I was going to have fun playing until I did." A bestseller, Abagnale's autobiography has fascinated millions of readers, including director/producer Steven Spielberg. "I was like the many people who fell under the seductive influence of the real Frank William Abagnale, Jr., just through his book. And when you meet him, you understand in a second how he could pull the wool over your eyes and convince you that he was a doctor or a lawyer. I was fascinated by the unique way he came of age. I really believe he was very strongly affected by the divorce of his parents. There are all sorts of ways kids act out against divorce, and Frank just happened to act out in a way that was so original, it was worth making a movie about. Personally, I have always loved movies about sensational rogues, like the Newman/Redford classics 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'The Sting.' They were breaking the law, but you had to love them for their moxie."