Burt Reynolds once said of this movie: "It's the story of my life! It's about a guy who has everything in the world except the one thing he desires most - a child. This one is much closer to who I am and what I am than most of my other movies. Personally, it's one of my very favorite pictures".
Actresses Natalie Wood and Sally Field were considered for roles. The latter had already collaborated with Burt Reynolds on four cinema movies: La fureur du danger (1978), Cours après moi shérif (1977), Suicidez-moi docteur (1978), and Tu fais pas le poids, shérif! (1980). In every movie that they had made together, Field played Reynolds' girlfriend. During the mid to late 1970s, the two actors were partnered in a real life personal relationship.
In this movie, Burt Reynolds' character Buddy Evans is 44 years old which was approximately Reynolds age at the time this movie was made.
Actor Norman Fell plays Larry, Burt Reynolds's doctor in this movie. Fell also played Reynolds' doctor Dr. Samuel Krugman in Suicidez-moi docteur (1978) about three years earlier. Suicidez-moi docteur (1978) was a comedy about death whereas Paternity (1981) was a comedy about the opposite, birth (and pregnancy).
This movie was nominated for one Golden Raspberry Award in 1981, for Worst Original Song, and won the Razzie in this category. The track was called "Baby Talk" with the music composed by David Shire and the lyrics written by David Frishberg.