- Describe a worthwhile lesson you learned from a visual/oral text you have studied.
Explain why it was a worthwhile lesson to learn.
‘Families are often hindered by imperfections.’
In the film ‘ Catch me if you can’, Frank William Abignale Junior spends his life searching for his idea of a perfect family. His journey and the lesson taught from the Abignale families imperfections can be worthwhile to learn. In the christmas scene, through to the affair and divorce scenes; Frank’s families imperfections are shown to teach viewers that families are not always perfect, and it is a worthwhile lesson to learn as it may teach people that it is okay to for a family to have imperfections, and that it is normal to not live the picture perfectlife that is often portrayed on modern television and social media.
First majorly highlighed in the christmas scene. The Abignale families imperfections begin to teach the valuable lesson of imperfection in families. In the Christmas scene Frank jr is seen dancing with his mother ( Paula Abignale), a mid shot is used to highlight the good side of their families relationship. When Paula spills red wine on the white carpet, a close up is used. This particular part highlights the families imperfections. The red wine is representative of the abignale families imperfections that blotch and damage the goodness that is still left in the families relationships. Frank Jr goes to clean the spill up but gets distracted watching his mother and father( Frank Senior) dance. A mid shot is used of his admirations and is used too show how he only sees the good in his parents relationship.
The imperfections shown here in the christmas scene portray the message that families are often hindered by their imperfections. This lesson is worthwhile learning as it teaches people that it is okay to have imperfections in your family, and that is it alright to have some issues in your relationship with your parents. This lesson can help others to feel less insecure about their families imperfections and can be implemented into the widersociety where there is a large amount of broken families.
Later on in the film ‘catch me if you can’. The affair scene highlights the Abignale families growing imperections and problems. Here, a mid shot is used of Frank jr when he arrives home, this shows his still unhindered, relatively worryless current emotion. Before Paula emerges from a bedroom with one of Frank Jr’s Fathers aquantences- Jack.
With a nervous stutter she tries to tell Frank Jr that she was just giving Jack a tour of the house, and that he “ Wanted to talk business with your father.”
A pan shot, is used on jack when he walks across the room towards Frank Jr. Followed by a mise-en-scene and lighting technique, where half of Franks face is dark and the other half is light. This highlights his internal and external conflicts and shows how he is being torn apart on the inside. The sense of betrayal and guilt is shown in Paula when she offers to make Frank a sandwich, and gives hjim money in an attempt to bribe him into not telling his father because
“Thats right, There’s nothing to tell”. This use of dialogue and her stuttering nervous voice make sit clear that she knows that she is in the wrong, and it shows the growing damage in the families bond. This scene expands on the theme of family and imperfections. It teaches us that Familys may start out alright but the brokenness and betrayal can grow with each wrongdoing of the family members. This is an important message as it teaches us that broken families begin with individuals wrong doings, and that it can grow to destroy the family and the relationship between the family members.
The final stage of the Abignale families growing brokenness and imperfections is highlighted in the divorce scene. Here, A mid shot is used on Frank jr as he enters the home, this shows his state of unawareness and slight unease. A dolly/tracking shot is used on a man who exits a room and walks towards frank jr, where the Mise-en-scene/lighting technique of his half light, half dark face is used to place emphasis on his shocked worried face.
It deepens the viewers understanding of his growning internal conflicts. Frank jr is taken into a room where his parents are waiting aswell as a few other family members. Franks Mother tells him that they are getting a divorce. She tries to comfort him by telling him that ” It is going to be ok”, and that “ theres nothing to be afraid of”. This highlights how the family is still trying to cover up and smudge out their imperfections and issues. Just like what is shown in the Christmas scene when the wine is spilt. Franks Lighting technique is used again, and a close up of his worried face is used to show his increasing fear, and anxiety. This highlights an issue seen in the modern world, where children often freak out because their parents are splitting up. This helps highlight how a generation of worried broken young people came to be due to this issue.
Dramatic music, and a transition shot between frank jr running away and his conflicted face is used. The music places emphasis on the issue at hand, and makes it more intense. These techniques are used to show how frank can no longer take it and cannot decide who to live with. So he has run away. A final shot of him behind bars ordering a train ticket to escape is used. This shows how he is trapped internally by his conflicts.
The final scene that completes the Abignale families imperfections puts out an important lesson that is worthwhile to learn. This is because it teaching viewers how divorced families can end up with broken families, and broken children who are for ever worried and tormented by their child trauma, as they try to fix their brokenness. Just as shown through the character Frank jr through his life of crime as a result of his childhood trauma.
In conclusion, Through the film ‘ Catch me if you can’, the theme of ‘Families are often hindered by imperfections” is shown. Through the Christmas, affair, and divorce scene; The Abignale famiulies imperfections and brokeness is made more and more prominent. Through the character Frank William Abignale Junior and his Parents, a worthwhile lesson is taught. It is shown that perfect families don’t really exist, and that it is ok and not always out of the ordinary to have a family with some imperfections and brokenness. This is worthwhile to learn as it abolishes the stereotypical “perfect” family that is shown on the media nowadays. And tells especially children to stop blaming themselves for the shortcomings and harm that others in their family has done to them. It is shown that it is alright to be part of an ‘impefect’ family as it is more normal that thought, and is not necessarily anyones fault.
