About Paterno

Paterno is a 2018 American television drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It revolves around the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, focusing on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Paterno's legacy gets tainted when it is discovered that Jerry Sandusky, a former coach under Paterno, was involved in a child molestation scandal.

Making / Production

The filming of Paterno started in July 2017. It is both written and directed by Barry Levinson who worked in association with HBO films. The film is produced by Levinson, Tom Fontana, and Jason Sosnoff.

Actors

• Al Pacino as Joe Paterno: He portrays the role of the famed football coach with depth and sensitivity, reflecting the complexity of a man caught in a scandal.
• Kathy Baker as Sue Paterno: She plays the wife of Joe Paterno, fittingly conveying the struggle she faced within this scandal.
• Greg Grunberg as Scott Paterno: He plays the role of Paterno's son who also acted as his lawyer during the scandal.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This is Barry Levinson's third HBO film focusing on a controversial subject related to a famous person.
• Al Pacino prepared for the role of Joe Paterno by meeting his family and studying videos of the coach.

Quotes

• "This is my life. It's not a game." - Joe Paterno
• "You need to resign before somebody does it for you." - Scott Paterno

Music, Soundtrack

• The music for Paterno is composed by Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine.
• The soundtrack beautifully augments the narrative, enhancing the emotional moments in the film.