For over 40 years, joe paterno was the celebrated head coach of the schools. A year in happy valley, premiered last month, which sought to highlight the penn state community spirit in a time of recovery. Head coach of the schools famous football team, known affectionately as saint joe. And paterno took on mythic national stature as saint joe. Park city, utah the filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and the lawyer for the victims expressed satisfaction.
Joe paterno, following his termination i do not believe joe paterno was involved in the alleged coverup. Happy valley documentary to premiere at sundance film. As its title suggests, the film aspires to be a portrait of the surrounding. Sober, evenhanded, and quietly devastating, happy valley. Happy valley documentary examines penn state scandal. Although paterno said in early days of the scandal that he wished hed done more, happy valley argues that penn state vice president gary schultz and athletic director tim curley, who are both. And im viewing this strictly on the evidence, not any kind of fealty to anybody.
Predictably, the only two critics of the movie ive seen so far are jay paterno sort of and. With al pacino, kathy baker, kenneth maharaj, michael mastro. With joe paterno, jay paterno, andrew shubin, jerry sandusky. Happy valley looks at the penn state scandal through the.
Five reasons why the happy valley documentary sucks. Its an investigation of the program itself, head coach joe paterno and how much he knew, and the intense student. But then, in november 2011, everything came crashing down. In his newest film, emmy awardwinning filmmaker amir barlev my kid could paint. The facts are here, pretty much as we followed them on the news a few years back, when assistant football coach jerry sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child molestation and the programs revered, fourdecadelong fatherfigure joe paterno was. Happy valley movie is a mirror on sports and media culture, director amir barlev says. Its the story of the paedophile scandal that rocked america. Thats not so much the case with happy valley, amir barlevs account of the sexualabuse charges that rocked penn state three years ago, landing retired assistant coach jerry sandusky in prison and resulting in the dismissal of longtime head football coach joe paterno who died of cancer two months later. Dont expect to learn anything new about the penn state scandal from happy valley, a deeply unsettling documentary from director amir barlev. Happy valley the most controversial movies on netflix zimbio. Heartbreaking truths form foundation of happy valley. 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 schools storied football team. Joe paterno, and penn states number one sinner jerry sandusky. A joe paterno statue will be returning to the happy valley.
Al pacino seen as joe paterno on happy valley set al. Sandusky met the children he molested through the charity he started, the second mile, whose mission statement reads, providing children with help and hope. In researching the happy valley true story, we learned that joe posnanski, author of the book on which the movie is based, had unrestricted access to coach paterno, his family, and his papers during the year that the penn state sex abuse scandal was unfolding. Hbos paterno is a dramatization of the reallife collapse of joe paterno s professional world in the wake of the jerry sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexualabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and. Amir barlevs documentary happy valley takes an unflinching look at an iconic american institution in the wake of unthinkable scandal. The real story behind the movie happy valley and matt sandusky submitted by jzadmin on mon, 02032014 22. Happy valley explores penn state sexabuse scandal the.
Pat little in this town if you are religious and think god is the all mighty and all encompassing, you could put joe paterno in that realm and jesus who is his son would be jerry sandusky and that is how it seemed in his town. Happy valley movie is a mirror on sports and media. The filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexualabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and the lawyer. Happy valley is an examination of the circumstances behind and the reaction to the crimes of jerry sandusky, a key member of the penn state football coaching staff convicted in. For over 40 years, joe paterno was the celebrated head coach of the schools storied football team. Joe paterno movie with al pacino moving forward at hbo. The film centers on joe paterno, who after becoming the most successful coach in college football history. Nestled in the idyllic area known as happy valley lies the town of state college. Happy valley amir barlev offers a typically gripping and thoughtful take on the penn state scandal. Its hard to say if the family will support the hbo happy valley movie, but. Happy valley documents life around scandalized penn.
Hbo suspends preproduction on joe paterno movie happy valley. First image of al pacino in hbos happy valley joe paterno. In one of many surreal scenes in happy valley, a penn state football game is about to begin when the public address announcer calls for a moment of silence to remember the universitys. Happy valley official trailer 1 2014 documentary hd youtube. Al pacino hints at upcoming happy valley onward state. Almost two years since the announcement of happy valley the story of penn state coach joe paterno and his covering up of defensive coordinator jerry sanduskys pedophilia the tv movie. The upcoming joe paterno biopic happy valley received much attention when it was revealed that the great al pacino would play the legendary football coach. First image of al pacino in hbos happy valley joe paterno movie. I have a football signed by joe paterno sitting on a bookshelf in my childhood bedroom, and a. That included coach joe paterno, portrayed by al pacino in the happy valley movie. Last time we covered the motion picture, a screenwriter told us that the movie would focus on paterno s life, not the scandal. With paterno sandusky doc happy valley, unsettling cultural questions joe sandusky in a scene from amir barlevs documentary happy valley. Happy valley shows both sides of sandusky scandal the. Joe paterno who reigned over the program for 46 years and died of cancer in 2012, not long after the scandal brokereported sandusky to the school as he was supposed to, then backpedaled and.
Al pacino seen as joe paterno on happy valley set al pacino walks around the set of his upcoming movie happy valley on monday morning july 17 in new york city. The jerry sandusky story game over paterno book joe posnanski. 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. We pit the hbo happy valley al pacino joe paterno movie vs. Happy valley 2014 amir barlev in happy valley 2014 happy valley 2014. The location that gives happy valley its title is never meant to be bitterly ironic. Happy valleys super mom joe paternos daughter diana. Happy valley documents life around scandalized penn state. Happy valley takes a fascinating look at the extent to which joe paterno was culpable for jerry sandusky crimes. After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, joe paterno is embroiled in penn states jerry sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure regarding the victims. 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 schools. The only company attached to the film was pacinos talent agency, icm. Mar 20, 2020 did you know that sue paterno has been named the happy valley joe and sue paterno with daughters diana and mary kay in 1966. Al pacino and barry levinson at an event for paterno 2018 al pacino in paterno 2018 al pacino and.
The featurelength film receiving the most attention is the movie starring al pacino as joe paterno, which is still in the preliminary stages of production. Casting sessions on hbos joe paterno jerry sandusky movie happy valley have been cancelled and other prep work put on hold, triggering speculation whether the hotbutton movie. Happy valley shows the horrific aftermath of the sandusky scandal. About genre drama summary al pacino is set to star as joe paterno in this new flick about the deceased penn state football coach. I graduated from penn state four years ago and spent many years as a kid visiting happy valley.
Does the movie have the support of the paterno family. Joe paterno, college football and the world of state college, pa. His program was lauded for not only its success on the field but also its students achievements in the classroom. Joe paterno documentary from 2002 we are penn state. Filmmaker says joe paternos family is pleased with. With paternosandusky doc happy valley, unsettling cultural. Nestled in the idyllic area known as happy valley lies the town of state college and the home of penn state university. The film centers on joe paterno, who after becoming the most successful coach in college football history, is embroiled in penn states jerry sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure regarding the victims.
But when former assistant coach jerry sandusky as charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse in november 2011, everything came crashing down on paterno and penn state. Though al pacino has been attached to play controversial us college football coach joe paterno for a. Happy valley is a 2014 american documentary film, written and directed by amir barlev. A bronze statue of the late penn state football coach is planned for installation outside.
Annie parisse join hbos joe paterno movie about penn state. Parisse will play mary kay paterno, joe paterno s daughter. The film had its world premiere at 2014 sundance film festival on january 19, 2014 the film later screened at 2014 sarasota film festival and won the jury award at the festival. The question isnt just what he knew, its what he did about it. Joe paterno was happy valley pas icon for more than 40 years.
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