Frank Abagnale’s mother is presented as an attractive middle aged housewife. She dresses in family orientated clothes, and appears to be the average housewife. However she is not what she appears to be at all as she is an extremely deceptive and dishonest character within the play. She shows this when she has an affair on her husband with a friend of his. She also shows nervousness in her character, when Frank Abagnale walks in on her. She quickly tries to get rid of him by bribing him ‘do you want some money to buy anything?’ This also shows her deceitful manner and personality.
Frank’s father, however, is presented as a more optimistic, diligent and charming father figure within the film, and he knows he is al of this. He is diligent and hard working, and it is seen through his mice speech ‘Two mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly drowned but the second mouse struggled and swam and finally turned that cream into butter and managed to walk out. I am that second mouse’. He is also very optimistic, and this is shown in the whole matter of the divorce. He keeps reassuring his son that everything will be fine again, when it obviously will not be, thus showing his optimistic behaviour. He is also a very charming character, a characteristic which his son has obviously inherited. He uses his charms to his great advantage, and his main technique is achieved only when talking to a pretty, younger woman. He pulls out a necklace whilst the woman is telling him when the issue he is trying to deal with can not be completed, i.e. the suit incident, and asks her, ‘did you drop this in the car park? It must have slipped right off your neck’. The young woman is then flattered to be attracted to what appears to be a well supported handsome man and does not take great care into what she actually is doing, thus completing what he is trying to purchase or achieve.
Frank is driven to run away simply because he can choose neither his mum nor dad. It is an impossible choice to make for any teenager, and this reflects that Frank is still only a kid as he runs away. He can’t choose between his parents because he needs both of them, and we see this by his reaction when he was told of the divorce.
In America during the 1960s, the type of clothing you wore portrayed your status, what type of job you had and even how much money you may have owned. For example, if you were seen in a suit, you would automatically be thought of as a richer, more upper class member of society. You would be looked up at, and would receive more public respect. This is portrayed in the film by Frank Abagnale Jr to a great extent. Knowing that clothing was a vital part in his scams, Frank Abagnale Jr used this to his advantage along with his wit and charm. He can be very deceiving simply by the type of clothes he is wearing. He uses them to disguise himself and take on different roles, especially when trying to deceive others. On his first day of public school, Frank is dressed as he would be expected to if he was going to a private school. As he is dressed in this upper class clothing in a middle class school, he is mistaken for a teacher, and automatically gains status over his fellow students just through his clothes. He gains confidence from this experience, thus creating the new deceptive and ambiguous character.
People in society in the 60s were very credulous and had an inclination of judging people by what they wore. Since they were very gullible for this reason, they tended to believe Frank was an upstanding member of society and was of a very upper class status, and because of this type of prejudgement they were very likely and did believe him. Frank Jr sees this as an opportunity to make money and relishes it, especially when cashing cheques. When he is dressed in the pilots outfit, the public smile and greet him in the street as they see him to have a much respected job and position within society. A boy asks for Frank’s autograph when he is walking on the street, which shows he is idolised for wearing a pilot’s suit without having a proper qualification or job, and thus proving people’s gullibility.
Furthermore, when he wants to cash in cheques, he goes to the younger and better looking women who are very easily impressed and also very susceptible like others in society at that time, they would be very amazed and pleased with themselves for being able to attract such a handsome, well mannered man, and one of a higher status. This makes them help him to do what he needs when he uses the ‘necklace trick’, hence why they are his main targets when looking to cash his cheques and use his charms and wit.
Frank Jr expresses his need of a stable, strong-bonded family throughout the film. It is what he wishes to have more than anything else. But however, he is expected to choose one parent over another. This for him is an impossible task as at the end of the day he is still a teenager and he needs both parents to support him in what he does and through his teenage life. His love for his parents, which he portrays throughout the film, is immensely strong.
Brenda’s family, or the strong family, have high expectations of Frank. They expect him to have a high and successful job so he supports Brenda. Furthermore, they expect him to be a Lutheran, and to follow their beliefs. Not only this, but they see him as a good candidate as he seemed to have a great background and an even better education.
Hanratty is enormously determined to catch Frank Abagnale Jr for a single purpose- he left him looking like a fool. He has been repeatedly fooled by Frank, and the desire to catch him has gone from a simple challenge to a massive obsession. He craves to catch Frank to put him away for good at first, but however his opinion of Frank changes and he has the expectation that he will be sensible and law abiding when caught.
Frank’s character is completely reflective of a teenager. His reaction when he finds out about his parents decision to split up is reflected by this completely. He decides automatically to run away and this shows that he is still young and cannot handle the responsibilities of being an adult and a man. He cannot live without both parents, and this shows his major dependability on both of his parents.
The audience watching the film perceive him as a likable fun character within the play. They love seeing him get away with his scams, and believe that he is justified for his misdemeanours.
His life changes drastically, when he is caught as he no longer has that sense of freedom, and he finally realises that there is more to life than just fun. He accepts to work for the FBI and this proves he has now developed some maturity and a sense of responsibility.
Frank’s relationship with Hanratty changes drastically in the play. They go from being enemies to being friends and become closer. They develop a trust between them and so the relationship changes, because Hanratty believes Frank will change, and so gives him a job and a new life.
The film is a representation of what society was like in the 1960’s. I don’t believe it reflects what it is like now, since it is based on a true story on something which DID happen in the 1960’s, and people nowadays are not as gullible or as easily impressed.
BY IURI DE LIMA 10 RED
