Home/Episodes/Catch Me If You Can
‘Catch Me If You Can’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey
February 28, 2023 · Catch Me If You Can (2002) · Biography · Crime · Drama · 1:45:36
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Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes including Frank pretending to be substitute teacher, Frank becoming Pan Am pilot, Frank giving his dad a Cadillac, Frank almost getting caught by Carl in Hollywood, and the FBI crashing Frank's engagement party▶ 35:04
Chris RyanThe Pan Am pilot sequence including interviews, uniform fitting, and first deadhead flight, plus the Cadillac scene with Frank's dad▶ 35:39
Is There a Better Title?
Bill SimmonsSuggests 'To Tell the Truth' or 'Tell the Truth' as alternatives but likes the original title▶ 1:00:44
Casting What-Ifs
Sean FennesseyDiscusses how this is Leo's first great performance where the movie entirely relies on him being good and charming, unlike his previous films▶ 1:03:12
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsTom Hanks is not the GOAT actor - his accent work in movies like Charlie Wilson's War, The Post, Captain Phillips, and Catch Me If You Can is terrible and unnecessary▶ 1:04:25
Chris RyanSupports the criticism of Hanks by arguing Tom Cruise is better at staying in his lane and knowing what he's good at, while Hanks can't do action movies like Mission Impossible▶ 1:09:13
Sean FennesseyTom Hanks is neither the GOAT movie star nor the GOAT actor - not even close. He's made too many movies that suck in the last 20 years▶ 1:07:42
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsThe development history from Norman Lear buying rights in 1980 after seeing Frank on Tonight Show, the real Abagnale never saw his father again (Spielberg invented father-son story), real FBI agent Joseph Shea didn't want to be used, and Frank Abagnale Jr. appears as the French officer who arrests Frank▶ 1:22:24
Chris Ryan157 different locations shot quickly by Spielberg, with Miami/Atlanta scenes actually filmed in California (Ontario Airport as Miami Airport), and Janusz Kaminski watched Maysles Brothers documentaries for preparation▶ 1:23:14
Sean FennesseyQuestioned whether the verite style of the Maysles Brothers is actually visible in Janusz Kaminski's photography for the film▶ 1:23:55
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsTitanic — Leo's Apex is Titanic (could do anything after it, biggest star on planet), Walken's Apex is 1993-94 period (SNL hosting, True Romance, Pulp Fiction), conman movies is The Sting, Joe Garagiola is World Series, Aston Martin DBS is Goldfinger▶ 1:24:30
Chris RyanTitanic — Agrees Leo's Apex is Titanic, suggests Walken's could be Pulp Fiction or More Cowbell era, favorite Walken performance is Annie Hall▶ 1:24:18
Sean FennesseyTitanic — Agrees with Titanic for Leo's Apex Mountain, agrees with Catch Me If You Can as best resource name▶ 1:24:45
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsHow did he cheat on the bar? He didn't. Could you escape from an airplane through the toilet? No. Why don't more people in the 60s try to forge checks?▶ 1:40:42
Chris RyanCould you escape from an airplane through the toilet? People probably did forge checks in the 60s, but when you got tagged with that, it was like being a horse thief - it really followed you around. Why is Tom Hanks using that accent?▶ 1:41:08
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsGangs of New York — Gangs of New York (because it came out five days apart) and The Aviator▶ 1:41:37
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill SimmonsCheck forging is the best crime - no real victims, just banks, and it's all insured▶ 1:42:51
Chris RyanQuestioned whether check forging is actually a good life lesson, noting that real victims were individuals who were scammed▶ 1:42:56
Sean FennesseySupported the check forging take by noting FDIC insurance makes it less harmful▶ 1:43:18
Movies Referenced (107)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gangs of New York (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:13 |
| Titanic (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 4:48 |
| Forrest Gump (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 22:14 |
| The Terminal (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 22:33 |
| Cloud Atlas (2012) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:37 |
| Inception (2010) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 12:44 |
| Minority Report (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:37 |
| Jerry Maguire (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:13:20 |
| The Beach (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:42 |
| The Fighter (2010) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 58:36 |
| True Romance (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 55:11 |
| Captain Phillips (2013) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:05:38 |
Directors Referenced (15)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Spielberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan | ▶ 2:16 |
| Martin Scorsese | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets | ▶ 4:32 |
| Cameron Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky | ▶ 1:16:43 |
| Gore Verbinski | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Rango | ▶ 1:16:08 |
| Clint Eastwood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven | ▶ 5:57 |
| Kosta Jokic | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:44:39 | |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 1:35:20 |
| Quentin Tarantino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn | ▶ 6:06 |
| Ridley Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | The Martian, Blade Runner | ▶ 5:57 |
| Ron Howard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 20:22 |
| Bud Yorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Blade Runner 2049, Blade Runner | ▶ 1:22:24 |
| Danny Boyle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | 127 Hours, 28 Days Later | ▶ 4:55 |
Actors Referenced (73)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Hanks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 66 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump | ▶ 2:14 |
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 54 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 21:06 |
| Sonny Abagnale | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Once Upon a Time in America | ▶ 31:47 |
| Christopher Walken | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Catch Me If You Can, The Deer Hunter | ▶ 26:24 |
| Martin Sheen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Departed | ▶ 41:05 |
| Harrison Ford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive | ▶ 1:35:56 |
| James Gandolfini | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Get Shorty | ▶ 55:27 |
| Jennifer Garner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Daredevil, 13 Going on 30 | ▶ 39:33 |
| Jack Nicholson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed | ▶ 8:05 |
| Daniel Day-Lewis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln | ▶ 7:04 |
| Leonardo DiCaprio | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed | ▶ 2:10 |
| Brad Pitt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith | ▶ 13:29 |
Writers Referenced (10)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Abagnale Jr. | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Catch Me If You Can | ▶ 1:53 |
| Malcolm X | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Malcolm X | ▶ 1:15:33 |
| Alex Garland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Ex Machina, Civil War, Annihilation | ▶ 4:55 |
| Damien Chazelle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Whiplash, La La Land, First Man | ▶ 6:16 |
| Jeff Nathanson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Catch Me If You Can | ▶ 31:45 |
| Jim Carroll | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | The Basketball Diaries, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | ▶ 10:46 |
| Michael Dinner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:20:36 | |
| Norman Lear | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Fried Green Tomatoes | ▶ 1:22:24 |
| Philip K. Dick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall | ▶ 29:19 |
| Ted Jessup | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Ted 2 | ▶ 1:38:10 |
Cinematographers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janusz Kaminski | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Schindler's List, Minority Report | ▶ 29:28 |
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 1:30:05 |
| Michael Kahn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Jurassic Park, Minority Report | ▶ 29:54 |