

Once again, football was prioritized over those most vulnerable. If they were granted waivers to transfer to any university of their choice with immediate eligibility, those most directly affected would have a path out. Paterno (HBO) Stop Searching, Start Streaming Sign Up Now Al Pacino stars as Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual-abuse scandal. There’s no denying it would have been a drastic response for a university so closely linked to its football program, but given the severity, a just one.Įven after the lesser punishment was handed down, defenders spoke about the players who had nothing to do and how they’d be impacted. Add HBO Max to any Hulu plan for an additional 14.99/month.
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Penn State football should have been shuttered like what occurred to Southern Methodist University in the wake of a 1987 recruiting scandal. Start your free trial to watch Paterno and other popular TV shows and movies including new. When sports are placed on a pedestal above the safety of children, it’s time for a reexamination of priorities. The film opens with Joe Paterno (Al Pacino) receiving a CT scan he’d been diagnosed with lung cancer as he recalls the last month. With something of this scope, Penn State should have been thankful to have a football program at all, instead of fighting for even greater leniency. His latest film, HBO’s Paterno, seems to be the outlier though. The NCAA, in a rare show of force, imposed severe sanctions in the wake of the scandal, including a fine of $60 million, scholarship reductions and a postseason ban of four years.Īfter being sued, those punishments were all lessened by the NCAA two years later in a troubling development. Which is why, as convictions against three high-ranking Penn State administrators - Graham Spanier, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz - for misdemeanor child endangerment were levied, the impetus for remaining quiet should have been removed as well. What was lost was the impact being felt by the victims.įootball should have been nowhere near the conversation, yet it was front and center.
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Nobody would dare do anything of importance without getting Paterno’s approval, as the movie showed - especially if it involved the Nittany Lions football team.ĭuring the infancy of the then-allegations becoming public, there was the question of how they would affect Paterno and football. 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 coach was a lightning rod, because he truly embodied Penn State. 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.

Richards are clear on Paterno’s responsibility regarding the Sandusky scandal. For much of the story, you’re not quite sure whether Levinson and screenwriters Debora Cahn and John C. The strongest aspect of the film, which premieres Saturday night at 8, is its stealth approach. Starring Al Pacino as Joe Paterno and directed by Barry Levinson, the film is a quietly damning portrait of those at Penn State, and specifically its beloved star football coach, who turned a blind eye to one-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s sex crimes against children.

HBO’s “Paterno” is another pointed take on complicity, without the funny, of course. It was a funny, razor-sharp reminder of the guilt of those who don’t necessarily commit a crime but allow it to happen. One of the best “Saturday Night Live” bits last year was a fake commercial for an Ivanka Trump fragrance called Complicit.
