Movie Title: Paterno
Writer: Debora Cahn, John C. Richards
Starring: Al Pacino, Riley Keough, Kathy Baker, Greg Grunberg, Annie Parisse, Ben Cook, Jim Johnson, Peter Jacobson, Larry Mitchell, Darren Goldstein, Kristen Bush, Sean Cullen, Steve Coulter, Tom Kemp, William Hill, Michael Mastro, Josh Mowrey, Murphy Guyer
Review: Paterno details the true story of legendary Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno (Al Pacino), and the sexual abuse scandal of his longtime assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky (Jim Johnson). Paterno, who had a longstanding, pristine reputation for graduating players and molding men, has his legend tarnished forever for playing a role in the institutional failure to advocate on behalf of the scandal's victims.
Focusing on the investigation led by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Sara Ganim (Riley Keough), this movie does a great job illustrating the details behind this infamous scandal. With that said, those very details are gruesome, and this film does not shy away from the graphic nature of the allegations. Al Pacino is fantastic as Paterno to the point where his mannerisms, look, and speech are so spot-on that it's sometimes difficult to remember that this character isn't in fact the real Joe Paterno. HBO and Barry Levinson should also be commended for the historical recapitulation of the events leading up to, during, and after the scandal. This movie is certainly not for the feint of heart, but I think it's a story that merits being told. I highly recommend this captivating, educational historical drama. It's a film that can be enjoyed by not only sports fans, but inquisitive souls who wish to review the sordid scandal that marked the downfall of the winningest coach in NCAA football history.
Fun Fact: This is the second time Al Pacino has played a head football coach. The first being Tony D'Amato in Any Given Sunday (1999).