10 Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies Of All Time
7. Catch Me If You Can
The motion picture adaptation of the life of Frank Abagnale, Jr. had been in development hell for some time before DiCaprio became involved. It has originally been optioned back in 1980, with various versions of a script going through various rewrites until finally, Steven Spielberg decided to take the reins.
The resulting film is an absolute delight. DiCaprio shines in the role of the young con man, working his way through different jobs (though most memorably as a Pan Am Airline pilot), all while Tom Hanks plays the FBI agent dogging his every step.
This was the film that followed The Beach and the two films couldn't be more different. This had the Spielberg flare that elevated everyone on board. The film's running time, while perhaps a little overlong, allows a thorough depiction and development of Abagnale's character. The producers stressed that this film is inspired by the true story, as there were deviations.
DiCaprio plays the man as obsessed with pleasing his father. A scene exists between DiCaprio and Christopher Walken, where the young man gets to show off his pilot's uniform to his proud father. This scene never actually happened in real life but was given the blessing by the real Frank Abagnale Jr, who did indeed hope to reunite with his Dad, before fate stepped in the way.
This was another gold star performance from DiCaprio, continuing to propel his star upwards as the '00s began.