MovieChat Forums > Catch Me If You Can (2002) Discussion > Dark side to Hanratty?

Dark side to Hanratty?

posted 10 years ago by FullLoader
6 replies | jump to latest

After Frank has been arrested in France, he is on the plane on the way back to USA with Carl. Carl reveals that Frank's dad is dead, Frank accuses Carl of lying to him as he said he could talk to him. It seemed as if Carl was going to let Frank call his father and find out about his death over the telephone. That would have been so evil for Carl to do that. Obviously that doesn't happen but Carl did tell him but only once they got close to the airport. Did anybody else notice a slightly dark side to Carl for almost not informing Frank of his fathers death and luring Frank into a false sense of security that he could talk to his father (even though he was dead)?

[–] archer6749 10 years ago

While that may have not been the smartest move on Carl's part, I think that his intentions were good. What I felt like happened was that Carl told Frank that he could talk to his father but then Carl found out that Frank's dad died and didn't know how to tell him. I mean, how easy could it be to tell someone that the person who brought you into this world, who loved, cared and raised you your entire life had died in such a unexpected, tragic, and even unpreventable way?

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

That would have been so evil for Carl to do that.

I think that's overstating the case a bit. Communications weren't as good then and Carl may not have initially known. Ultimately his job was to deliver a criminal into the arms of justice.

You're probably aware that IRL, they both had a pretty high regard for one another.🐭

[–] PaladinNJ (20308) 2 years ago

In real life Carl Hanratty didn’t exist. He was an amalgam of several law enforcement agents who pursued Frank through the years.

[–] DoctorShemp 9 years ago

Carl definitely knew Frank Sr. had died when he told Frank Jr. he could speak to his father, but there was no evil intention, Carl was just too hesitant/nervous to break the news and therefore caught himself in an uncomfortable lie, which definitly goes with the theme of the movie.

[–] redban (5157) 3 years ago

I didn't see it as evil. He just didn't feel comfortable breaking such heavy news to Frank. His preference was to have Frank learn about the death from a relative or something once they get back home. But Frank put Carl on the spot by asking Carl to let him speak to his dad. He either had to lie (which he did) or uncomfortably deliver the bad news.

The fact that he did reveal the father's death on the plane shows that he began to feel bad about lying. Carl could've surely kept lying until they landed. He could've said, "Sure, you'll call when we land"; and he would've kept Frank calm for the whole flight. But again, Ithink Carl just started to feel bad, so he decided to be honest at that point.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I don't think that was dark at all. Carl could have told Frank at any time, even when they were flying about the death of Frank's father but I guess all that while he was repressing it due to the kind of reaction that Frank may have upon receiving the news which eventually happened once he told him. Carl could have also received information that Frank Sr. might have been in hospital and when he said to Frank that he could call his father (once they were there) that could have been based on whether or not Frank Sr. had made it or not