The town of State College, the home of Penn State University, has long
been known as Happy Valley, and its iconic figure for more than 40 years
was Joe Paterno, the head coach of the school’s storied football team.
His program was lauded for not only its success on the field but also
its students’ achievements in the classroom. And Paterno took on mythic
national stature as “Saint Joe.”
But then, in November 2011, everything came crashing down. Longtime
Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex
abuse, setting off a firestorm of accusations about who failed to
protect the children of Happy Valley. Was Sandusky’s abuse an “open
secret” in the town? Did Coach Paterno and the Penn State administration
value their football program more than the lives of Sandusky’s victims?
Filmed over the course of the year after Sandusky’s arrest as key players in the scandal agreed to share their stories, Happy Valley
deconstructs the story we think we know to uncover a much more
complicated and tragic tale. Director Amir Bar-Lev creates a parable of
guilt, redemption, and identity crisis for a small town caught in the
glare of the national spotlight.
Cast:
John Battsek
Robert DeBitetto
Ken Dornstein
Jonathan Koch
David McKillop
Steven Michaels
Ezekiel Morgan
Molly Thompson
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