Steven Spielberg, with his cinematic canvas, has managed to launch several well-acclaimed movies and stars into the acting business. But one particular movie of his presented a con artist who enchanted America with his charm and cunning ways. The con artist in question is Frank Abagnale Jr. in the movie Catch Me If You Can.
Starring the enigmatic Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, it’s not like just any other movie and has a connection with Spielberg’s struggles in his own childhood.
Steven Spielberg’s Childhood Connection With Catch Me if You Can
Steven Spielberg, with his highly successful plethora of movies, needs no introduction. But the biographical comedy-drama Catch Me If You Can showed a completely different side of the filmmaker that many were not aware of. The movie also marks Spielberg’s first collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio. But more than that, the movie’s storyline had a special link with the filmmaker’s tumultuous childhood, which he detailed in a past interview.
In a 2003 chit-chat with Black Film, Steven Spielberg detailed how he let loose creatively and how his own childhood was a key factor in the production of the movie. He added that the movie gave him creative liberation which he was not able to have for a really long time and added, “I felt I could really let my hair down with this one.” Further, when he got on board with the movie, he was open to Abagnale Jr.’s story. He added that, for him, it was one of the best stories he’d ever heard.
He also added that while some elements of Abagnale Jr.’s life were adventurous and fun, they had serious consequences for others. When talking about why this movie holds such a special meaning for him, Spielberg described that it deals with the premise of broken homes. He added:
I ran away from home when my parents got divorced; at the same age Frank ran away when his parents got divorced, so I had that in common with him.
The legendary filmmaker also added that with this story, he wanted to remind the audience that a person’s action has a reason behind it and is not always a thrill of deception.
A Classic Tom Hanks Movie That Steven Spielberg Rejected
Tom Hanks is a powerhouse in his own right. But with his acting prowess and Spielberg’s direction, magic on screen is inevitable. The duo are longtime collaborators and have forged a deep friendship throughout the years. Hanks and Spielberg’s first and most notable partnership took place in the World War II epic Saving Private Ryan.
The movie was well received and got Spielberg an Academy Award for Best Director. However, before this movie, Spielberg was also offered the chance to direct 1988’s Big. But he took a step back from the project, as the screenplay was written by his sister Anne Spielberg. He was worried that his involvement might overshadow her contributions.
Producer Jim L. Brooks asked him to reconsider the offer, but he declined it. In an interview with Flavour, the director admitted:
Jim Brooks and I had many meetings about this and he was very persuasive about my doing it. (Spielberg further said) I said to Anne, ‘Here’s why I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it because you’ll get no credit for this great script you wrote. It will all go to me.
The movie secured Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination. And Spielberg’s sacrifice let his sister earn her due credit for the movie with an Oscar nomination as well. But after this, Spielberg had to wait a decade to collaborate with Tom Hanks on Saving Private Ryan in 1998.
You can rent Catch Me If You Can on Apple TV and watch Saving Private Ryan on Prime Video.
