Though al pacino has been attached to play controversial us college football coach joe paterno for a while now, the deals and. For over 40 years, joe paterno was the celebrated head coach of the schools storied football team. Filmmaker says joe paternos family is pleased with. Documentary examines penn state in wake of sandusky scandal. A documentary that observes the year after pennsylvania state. Its the story of the paedophile scandal that rocked america. For over 40 years, joe paterno was the celebrated head coach of the schools. A documentary that observes the year after pennsylvania state university assistant football coach jerry sanduskys arrest on child sex abuse charges. 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.
His program was lauded for not only its success on the field but also its students achievements in the classroom. That euphoria over a football program as successful as penn state under head coach joe paterno with its spell cast so widely is the engine that drives a community to miss the signs of crime such as assistant coach jerry sanduskys abuse of young boys. 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. Because the movie was filmed on set rather than on penn states campus, it required recreations of classic sights like beaver stadium and the joe paterno statue. Pressman and pacinos manager rick nicita are set to produce, while dave mckenna american history x, blow is in talks to pen the script.
When i left, joe paterno was preparing to take over the coaching position from rip engle. With 409 victories, paterno is the most victorious coach in ncaa fbs history. Bernie mccue protests next to the joe paterno statue in happy valley. Happy valley casts a wider net in the penn state child sexabuse scandal a new documentary looks past jerry sandusky and joe paterno to a footballcrazed community. But then, in november 2011, everything came crashing down. 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. She says the scandal is still being felt in the campus town of happy valley. Jul 17, 2017 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. Everyone at psu including my mother who was an enthusiastic alumna of psuquestioned whether paterno could fill his predecessors shoes. Watch or download paterno 2018 full movie online free.
Apr 29, 2015 in one of the documentarys saddest moments, paterno biographer joe posnanski quotes the late coach as lamenting the fact that he didnt do more to stop his assistant coach. Sanduskys adopted stepson, who suddenly declared himself another of sanduskys victims toward the end of the trial, after having previously denied having been abusedshed no light on the subject whatsoever, coming across like an obligatory. In the documentary happy valley, berne mccue protests next to a statue of joe paterno. A bronze statue of the late penn state football coach is planned for installation outside of the tavern restaurant in state college, pa. In one of many surreal scenes in happy valley, a penn state football game is about to begin when the. The film centers on joe paterno, who, after becoming the winningest coach in college football history, is embroiled.
Nov 20, 2014 related to this is the sense that the entire community, which knew nothing of sanduskys crimes or the universitys role in hiding them, is being punished along with the conspirators, by having the penn state football program taken away, the athletic records punitively altered, and the words happy valley linked inextricably with sickness, cowardice and evil. The film had its world premiere at 2014 sundance film festival on january 19, 2014. Lauded not only for his programs success on the field, but also for students achievements in the classroom, paterno was nestled in the idyllic area known as happy. Happy valley looks at the penn state scandal through the. Sandusky met the children he molested through the charity he started, the second mile, whose mission statement reads, providing children with help and hope. The film later screened at 2014 sarasota film festival and won the jury award at the festival. Happy valley, on the other hand, feels cool and detached. Happy valley official trailer 1 2014 documentary hd youtube. The location that gives happy valley its title is never meant to be bitterly ironic. The happy valley joe paterno movie is based on joe posnanskis book paterno, published in 2012. Five reasons why the happy valley documentary sucks. Happy valley fails to address this part of the story almost completely, save for a few lines from members of the paterno family which can easily be written off by a national audience as biased.
The jerry sandusky story game over paterno book joe posnanski. Happy valley is a 2014 american documentary film, written and directed by amir barlev. About genre drama summary al pacino is set to star as joe paterno in this new flick about the deceased penn state football coach. And paterno took on mythic national stature as saint joe. Hbo suspends preproduction on joe paterno movie happy valley. No one ever called my town, columbus, happy valley, but when ohio state defeats michigan, its a happy valley indeed.
He was the head coach of the penn state nittany lions from 1966 to 2011. Al pacino is set to star as joe paterno in this new flick about the deceased penn state football coach. As much as paterno is a fictional recreation of real events, the socalled biopic had a few glaring errors that penn state fans could easily pick out. Happy valleys interviews with figures directly related to the casepaternos widow and sons. 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. The only company attached to the film was pacinos talent agency, icm.
With paternosandusky doc happy valley, unsettling cultural. Happy valley looks at the penn state scandal through the lens. Directed by barry levinson, the happy valley joe paterno movie also stars riley keough as sara ganim, the 23yearold reporter who first broke the scandal. Paterno s death and the sandusky case presumably will be integral parts of happy valley, though pressman told the ap that the script and plot of the film are currently under wraps. Nov 26, 2014 with paternosandusky doc happy valley, unsettling cultural questions. Predictably, the only two critics of the movie ive seen so far are jay paterno sort of and. Jan 22, 2014 the filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexualabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and the lawyer for the victims expressed satisfaction with the film.
Nov 26, 2014 happy valley casts a wider net in the penn state child sexabuse scandal a new documentary looks past jerry sandusky and joe paterno to a footballcrazed community. One reason the residents of happy valley believed that was the personality and accomplishments of penn state head coach joe paterno, whose belief in the college game as a. The filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexualabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and the lawyer for the victims expressed satisfaction with the film. Al pacino hints at upcoming happy valley onward state. 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. The hbo joe paterno movie is based on joe posnanskis book paterno. Al pacino seen as joe paterno on happy valley set al. Enjoy a rich lineup of tv shows and movies included with your prime. 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. Nestled in the idyllic area known as happy valley lies the town of state college and the home of penn state university. Happy valley s interviews with figures directly related to the case paterno s widow and sons. Happy valley also records some ugly and disturbing moments, including the campus riot the night after paterno s firing, when students knocked down lampposts and upended cars.
Happy valley opens with a straightforward account of the facts, many underscored by the thoughtful reflections of the towns residents and paterno s. Posnanski is a former senior columnist for sports illustrated. Last time we covered the motion picture, a screenwriter told us that the movie would focus on paterno s life, not the scandal. With al pacino, kathy baker, kenneth maharaj, michael mastro. Dec 04, 2014 in the documentary happy valley, berne mccue protests next to a statue of joe paterno. In doing so, she caught the attention of the national media and was awarded a pulitzer prize for her work. Al pacino to play penn states joe paterno in happy valley. 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.
December 21, 1926 january 22, 2012, sometimes referred to as joepa, was an american college football player, athletic director, and coach. Documentary examines penn state in wake of sandusky. Paterno s legacy is still a hotly debated topic, ganim said, after being asked about how local penn st. The film narrates the event at the pennsylvania state. Joe paterno was happy valley pas icon for more than 40 years. Well, the suspension became permanent and we pretty much thought the movie was dead, but its now kicked back to life. Joe paterno, college football and the world of state college, pa. A levelheaded look at the way this community clumsily tried to reconcile loyalty to longtime head football coach joe paterno. First image of al pacino in hbos happy valley joe paterno movie. Nov 19, 2014 joe paterno, college football and the world of state college, pa. Amir barlevs documentary, happy valley, covers the historical bases of sanduskys conviction on multiple counts and paternos eventual firing and death a few months later for not doing more to bring justice for the abused boys.
That included coach joe paterno, portrayed by al pacino in the happy valley movie. 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. Happy valley takes a fascinating look at the extent to which joe paterno was culpable for jerry sandusky crimes. Nov 19, 2014 happy valley and the painful ambiguity of penn state now. Will happy valley, starring al pacino as joe paterno, have. 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. With paterno sandusky doc happy valley, unsettling cultural questions. Apr 23, 2014 a joe paterno statue will be returning to the happy valley. Amir barlevs documentary happy valley takes an unflinching look at an iconic american institution in the wake of unthinkable scandal. Jan 23, 2014 the filmmaker behind the new documentary about the penn state sexualabuse scandal says that both the family of joe paterno and the lawyer for the victims expressed satisfaction with the film. Sep 19, 2014 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 starring al. Jan 18, 20 film legend al pacino is reported to be playing the role of joe paterno in a movie about the jerry sandusky scandal at penn state, according to.
Al pacino to play joe paterno in movie on penn state gridiron scandal according to sources, the suspension would also be used for additional script work. First image of al pacino in hbos happy valley joe paterno. But this film is more about what happened when it became clear that legendary head coach, lionized good citizen and well loved great moral influence on young men joe paterno helped cover up sanduskys crimes or at minimum didnt do. Amir barlevs documentary happy valley focuses on how the sandusky crimes impacted the penn state campus and its happy valley society. Jerry sanduskys adopted son matt appears in the new documentary happy valley about the scandal that landed his father in jail for 3060 years on. Happy valley opens with a straightforward account of the facts, many underscored by the thoughtful reflections of the towns residents and paternos two sons. Hbo is holding off on preproduction for the joe paterno jerry sandusky film happy valley, which has al pacino on board as its lead. Paternos legacy is still a hotly debated topic, ganim said, after being asked about how local penn st. Jerry sandusky joe paterno sports happy valley penn state university. Ive written it before all of what the average disconnected observer knows about the sandusky scandal can be written on the back of an index. Though al pacino has been attached to play controversial us college football coach joe paterno for a while now, the deals and details of the film. Head coach of the schools famous football team, known affectionately as saint joe.
Dont expect to learn anything new about the penn state scandal from happy valley, a deeply unsettling documentary from director amir barlev. In one of the documentarys saddest moments, paterno biographer joe posnanski quotes the late coach as lamenting the fact that he didnt do more to stop his assistant coach. Jan 17, 20 the paterno film is tentatively titled happy valley, and will tell the life story of legendary penn state football coach, joe paterno. The report does offer hope that the movie will be mostly about paterno. Happy valley shows both sides of sandusky scandal the. Happy valley casts a wider net in the penn state child sex.
Happy valley documentary examines penn state scandal. Hbo suspends preproduction on joe paterno movie happy. Nestled in the idyllic area known as happy valley lies the town of state college. We pit the hbo happy valley al pacino joe paterno movie vs. 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 has yet. Full movie online free after becoming the winningest coach in college football history, joe paterno is embroiled. Happy valley documents life around scandalized penn. Sep 20, 2014 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 has yet. Al pacino to play penn states joe paterno in happy. Al pacino to play joe paterno in sandusky scandal movie. With joe paterno, jay paterno, andrew shubin, jerry sandusky.
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