On Saturday night, HBO's new Al Pacino–starring film Paterno, which documents the life and demise of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, debuted.
Nearly 300 former Penn State athletes who played under Paterno have released a statement criticizing the movie, which they say is "uninformed," and standing behind their former coach.
"[Paterno] has been described by producer Barry Levinson as a work of fiction, which is likely the only truth in the entire project," the alumni wrote. "Incredibly, in making the movie, Levinson and his team never consulted a single person who was close to, worked with, or was coached by Joe Paterno. Not even family members or us, who undoubtedly knew him best of all."
The alumni went on to bash Levinson for using fiction as a shield to take liberties in telling the story.
"As a coach, educator, and philanthropist, Joe Paterno was a positive force in our lives, molding us not only to win games, but to win in life," they wrote. "His character, integrity, and moral compass will live on in us long after the ill-gotten ratings of this reckless attempt at entertainment fades away."
Read the full statement. Among those who signed the letter: Franco Harris and Ki-Jana Carter.
This falls in line with the statement the Paterno family released before the film premiered: "The HBO movie regarding Joe Paterno is a fictionalized portrayal of the tragic events surrounding Jerry Sandusky's crimes. Numerous scenes, events and dialogue bear no resemblance to what actually transpired."
Levinson said in a release that viewers will be left to make their own judgment:
Joe Paterno was fired in November 2011, three days after longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested.