Paterno (HBO)

About Paterno (HBO)

"Paterno" is an American television drama film that premiered on HBO in 2018. The film focuses on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Paterno's legacy is challenged and he is forced to face questions of institutional failure.

Making / Production

The movie was directed by Barry Levinson who is a renowned director known for his gripping storytelling. It was produced by Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jason Sosnoff, and Edward R. Pressman,. The storyline was penned down by Debora Cahn and John C. Richards.

Actors

• Al Pacino as Joe Paterno: Pacino brilliantly portrayed the character of Joe Paterno, a revered football coach touched by the scandal.
• Riley Keough as Sara Ganim: Keough played the role of an ambitious journalist who first broke the Sandusky story.
• Greg Grunberg as Scott Paterno: Grunberg portrayed the role of Paterno's son Scott who grapples with his father's legacy.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie was filmed in New York City despite being set in the midwestern town of State College, Pennsylvania.
• Al Pacino previously collaborated with director Barry Levinson in the HBO film "You Don't Know Jack"

Quotes

• "If a player doesn't have discipline, he's not going to be successful" -Joe Paterno
• "I didn't come here to surrender. I came here to fight." -Scott Paterno

Music, Soundtrack

• The score for "Paterno" was composed by Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, who have previously scored films such as "The Family" and "The Wizard of Lies"
• Because "Paterno" deals with a sensitive and serious subject matter, the music was composed to be minimalistic and haunting to echo the mood of the film