Critics Give ‘Paterno’ Mixed Review Ahead Of Premiere

Atsushi Nishijima | HBO

Nearly every major national media outlet has published its review of HBO’s Paterno biopic ahead of its premiere, but there’s no overwhelming consensus on the movie, which runs less than two hours.

Director Barry Levinson said the film wouldn’t take any sides, instead going for a journalistic approach. The Paterno family released its own statement Saturday morning, saying, “Numerous scenes, events, and dialogue bear no resemblance to what actually transpired.”

You can see the major reviews published so far below, each with excerpts and links to the full reviews. Paterno premieres at 8 p.m. Saturday on HBO.

The New York Times: Al Pacino Stars in HBO’s ‘Paterno,’ a Tragedy Without a Hero

“[Pacino’s] portrayal isn’t as powerful or moving, though, and in some ways that’s the conundrum of ‘Paterno’ — it’s a tragedy without a tragic hero. For Paterno’s fall to be tragic, it would have to come from a greater height than merely winning 409 college football games.

The Washington Post: Despite ‘Paterno’s’ ambiguities, Al Pacino is an effective — and pathetic — JoePa

“Instead of focusing more on the story’s hero (Ganim), Levinson sticks to the futile rage within House of Paterno. It’s possible, in Pacino’s nuanced performance of Paterno’s frailty and confusion, to find a reserve of fleeting sympathy for the man, who refused to resign and instead got fired. At the same time, it’s never possible to forget the horrors that happened where he ruled.”

The Wall Street Journal: Fall of an Idol

“The film not surprisingly avoids judgments about the justice of the accusations that Coach Paterno knew more than he let on, that he had learned of accusations and had evaded taking action. We’re shown, instead, a man grasping for understanding of what had happened — a man who asks at one point, what sodomy is. It’s a highly suggestive reading of character — one that opens the way to several possibilities including deception and pretense.”

The Boston Globe: A legend crumbles in HBO’s ‘Paterno’

“The strongest aspect of the film, which premieres Saturday night at 8, is its stealth approach. For much of the story, you’re not quite sure whether Levinson and screenwriters Debora Cahn and John C. Richards are clear on Paterno’s responsibility regarding the Sandusky scandal. You wonder if ‘Paterno’ is trying to take a step toward rehabilitating the image of the late coach, the ‘winningest’ coach in college football history. It’s only later in the movie that the script, and Pacino’s fine performance, edge slowly but surely into the issue of Paterno’s legal and moral liability.”

The Los Angeles Times: Al Pacino is at his best as the disgraced football coach, but the film loses its way

“The film is watchable, certainly, but also wayward. Its effects feel scattered, its points lost as the story looks here, looks there; ‘Paterno’ has many things to show you, but less to say. Some scenes are more suggestive of other movies — there are no lack of films about crimes and cover-ups and victims bravely speaking truth to power — than a window into real life.”

CNN: ‘Paterno’ takes poor angle in tackling Penn St. abuse scandal

“What Ganim’s investigative reporting makes clear is that the ones who deserved better were Sandusky’s victims. ‘Paterno’ doesn’t lose sight of that, but it does tackle its difficult subject from an angle that, ultimately, blunts its impact.”

Chicago Sun Times: Al Pacino back in top form as the football legend tainted by scandal

“But what’s most striking about the performance is how Pacino captures the complexities and contradictions in a man who was considered a football god and a near-saint by nearly everyone for the better part of six decades — until the questions about Paterno’s actions (or lack thereof) in reaction to the sex abuse allegations against his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.”

The Guardian: Pacino excels in messy retelling of sex abuse scandal

“At times, the film does a fine job handling extremely upsetting material, but for the most part it’s plagued by a problem of perspective, constantly unsure what kind of film it wants to be. With a growly, irascible Pacino at his scenery-chewing best, it’s willed in biopic territory. That’d be quite alright if Levinson also didn’t want Paterno to be a journalism movie, a sports movie and a family drama. To an extent, Levinson could have reconciled these disparate threads, but he chose instead to weave them each into the film’s tapestry, and the stitching shows.”

Variety: ‘Paterno’ With Al Pacino on HBO

“But in the end, it’s all about Pacino’s Paterno. Did Joe Pa know about the sins of his former defensive coordinator but turn a blind eye because it was more convenient? Levinson and his screenwriters certainly imply as much in both subtle and not so subtle ways. They also make it clear that a frightening majority of Penn State students and fans cared more about the football team and Paterno’s legacy than the victims themselves.

“Regardless, the creative partnership between Pacino and Levinson may well have run its course. The third time is only the charm if it scores a touchdown, but this one ultimately fumbles.”

NPR: ‘Paterno’ And ‘Killing Eve’ Bring Complexity And Intrigue To Cable

“The central question of this HBO drama, really, is ‘What did Paterno know, and when did he know it?’ It doesn’t answer that question fully until the very last moment. But it leaves you thinking, and reflecting, long after the credits roll — which is precisely what makes it so effective.”

The Globe and Mail: A stunningly powerful movie about an abuse scandal

“There is a lot packed into this movie. It is in part about the young reporter Sara Ganim (played by Riley Keough) who broke the Sandusky story for the tiny Harrisburg Patriot-News. Her story was ignored for months, but then Ganim witnessed the impact of the indictments against Sandusky and the furious, bewildered response of the university and the community. The movie is about the ugliness of the public response when a hero is revealed as deeply flawed. It’s about how sport is used as an excuse to rationalize what is inexcusable.

“Mostly, it is about the selfishness of old men. Pacino is superb as a doddering but canny Paterno, a man who likes to portray himself as ancient and only interested in coaching football. The opening scene, sublimely staged, gives us the platform on which the drama plays out.”

New York Post: Pacino plays a clueless Joe Paterno in Penn State biopic

“The Joe Paterno we see in the HBO movie keeps his distance from the firestorm erupting around him, seeking refuge with his wife, Sue (Kathy Baker), and adult children, while various university personnel try to get their stories straight.”

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About the Author

Elissa Hill

Elissa was the managing editor of Onward State from 2017-2019. She is from Punxsutawney, PA [insert corny Bill Murray joke here] and considers herself an expert on all things ice cream. Follow her on Twitter (@ElissaKHill) for more corny jokes.

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