Catch Me if You Can is Frank Abagnale Jr.'s autobiography

Autobiography

An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

, written with the help of Stan Redding.

Plot summary

The movie plot is available at Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...

.

The book is the autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr., who was one of the most famous con-artists in the 20th Century. It is written in the first person

First person

First person may refer to:* First-person narrative, a literary device* First-person interpretation, a museum technique* First Person , an interview-based television series created by Errol Morris...

 and describes how he cashed $

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

2.5 million worth of bad checks. He assumed various jobs, such as pretending to be a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, a teacher, and an attorney. Abagnale was eventually caught by the FBI Agents, who had been chasing him the whole way, while living in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and then served around 5 years in prison - 6 months in France and 6 months in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. The book ends with Abagnale running away from the FBI, leaving you with a cliffhanger.

Movie adaptation

The 2002 film Catch Me if You Can

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...

, directed by award-winning director Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...

, stars Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...

 as Abagnale and Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...

 as Hanratty. The film is based upon his life and the autobiography and is mainly true to the source as Abagnale was a consultant to the writers but some of the details were changed for obvious movie purposes.

Musical adaptation

Frank’s life has most recently been adapted into a new musical of the same name

Catch Me if You Can (musical)

Catch Me If You Can is a musical with a libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr...

, which arrived on Broadway (First preview: March 11; Opening night: April 10, 2011) at the Neil Simon Theatre. The show stars Aaron Tveit

Aaron Tveit

Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...

, Norbert Leo Butz

Norbert Leo Butz

Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...

, Tom Wopat

Tom Wopat

Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...

 and Kerry Butler

Kerry Butler

Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...

. Butz won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical at the 2011 Tony Awards.