Paterno

TV-MA

2018

1 hr. 45 min.

Drama

Biography

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List

71%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno becomes embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal.

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Premiered May 03

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Critics Consensus

Paterno, elevated by deft direction from Barry Levinson and a strong Al Pacino performance, presents a hard-hitting dramatization of a gut-wrenching real-life story.

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Shioka O

Performance is excellent.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/29/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I thought it was good overall as we get a look into this coaching legend and the people around him who loved him dearly on campus and off. It would have been nice to see more into the life of Paterno rather than just the end which was marred by the sex scandal and his innocent eyes that didn't see it from Sandusky

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Daniel N

Another sleek performance by Al Pacino with a thrilling story that evolves nicely through all the film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/21

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Audience Member

Boring movie with a great actor.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A fascinating, insightful look at a college football legendary coach's end, as he fell from grace amidst much controversy and horrific scandal. Al Pacino and humble and reserved with incredible ease. Barry Levinson's approach was earnest and fairly raw, if not all but feeling incomplete to the greater issues at hand.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This HBO movie about Joe Paterno was good but depressing as well. Al Pacino and the rest of the cast did an excellent job in bringing this scandal to life. It was shocking to learn what happened during this scandal and how long it had been going on. Joe Paterno should've reported Jerry Sandusky the moment he heard about his dark side. Paterno was a legendary football coach and he just ruined his legacy in a blink of an eye.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Barry Levinson

Director

Al Pacino

Joe Paterno

Riley Keough

Sara Ganim

Tess Frazer

Andrea

Annie Parisse

Mary Kay Paterno

Kathy Baker

Sue Paterno

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Paterno: Trailer 1

2:04

Paterno: Teaser Trailer 1

0:38

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Verne Gay

Newsday

Brilliant as ever, [Al] Pacino is the master trickster who manages to both demonize and humanize Paterno.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 19, 2018

Full Review

Mike Hale

New York Times

Mr. Levinson lays this out with considerable skill and energy.

Apr 9, 2018

Full Review

Ben Travers

indieWire

It speaks to viewers with disparate reactions, but it also speaks to anyone who didn't dig into the scandal at the time by outlining what happens when we are too quick to defend the famous faces instead of those claiming to be victimized by them.

Rated: A-

Apr 9, 2018

Full Review

Kenneth Seward Jr.

IGN Movies

The plot’s structuring is odd and nothing’s fleshed out enough for the audience to derive anything significant. It is a somewhat, evenhanded dramatization of true events though (sans the bits towards the end).

Rated: 6.7/10

Jul 26, 2023

Full Review

Jeff York

Creative Screenwriting

It is a heavy series of events for any biographical film to dramatize, and HBO's film... does a crackerjack job of showing just how devastating it was.

Oct 17, 2019

Full Review

Matt Ward

Cinematic Considerations

Paterno attempts to say a lot of things about a lot of different subject matters... None of them are achieved particularly well.

Nov 5, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno becomes embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal.

Director: Barry Levinson
Executive Producer: Jason Sosnoff, Lindsay Sloane, Edward R. Pressman, Rick Nicita
Screenwriter: Debora Cahn, David McKenna, John C. Richards
Production Co: Edward R. Pressman Film Corp., The Levinson/Fontana Company
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 6, 2018
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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