The events involving Jerry Sandusky are still fairly fresh in our minds: in 2011, after two years of grand jury investigation, the Penn State assistant football coach was convicted of serial child molestation. Joe Paterno was dismissed from his position as head coach due to to his indirect involvement, in that he reported a case to school administration in 2001 but not to the police.
Lately there have been plans for not one but two films based on these events, both named "Happy Valley": one, which is still in preproduction, will be a dramatic account of the film, with Al Pacino and John Carroll Lynch in talks. The other is a documentary that sums up the details of the trial, the events that followed, and the reactions from the surrounding community and fan base of Penn State. It covers three different perspectives of the events: that of Matt Sandusky, the adopted son; Joe Paterno's family; and Penn State fans.
The majority of Matt's interview is focused on his upbringing and the trial. Matt describes his desire to be loyal to the family because it was the only "family" he ever really had... which made his decision to stand against his adopted father even harder than it already was. "He probably didn't think that he was hurting anyone," Matt says, adding a disturbing thought to an already sickening situation. "He thought that what he did was love."
But though the film does a good job laying out Sandusky's case, it focuses more on Joe Paterno: the man who did something, but possibly not enough. Interviews with Paterno's family describe the backlash he received once word started getting out about his involvement, and the support he received from Penn State fans. Even after Paterno died, the footage shows conflict about the man. This conflict is most succinctly summarized in Michael Pilato's Penn State mural: first Pilato removes Sandusky from the painting, putting a blue ribbon in the empty chair, and then he paints a halo over Paterno's head... until more evidence becomes public through the Freeh Report, heightening the responsibility that he had. Then Pilato removes the halo, saying, "By removing the halo, that means we're all human beings."
The film really shows the power of memory in society: some, like Paterno's wife, just want their loved ones to be seen in a good light, and others would rather the whole situation be defused to get back to the way things were. Scenes show Penn State struggling to get back on its feet after the events, as the heavy reminder of past events now puts a damper on the festivities of the field... what seems like a nightmare in the realm of sensitivity is very real to a fanbase that just wants its game back.
It's a very well-made film, though perhaps it could have been about twenty minutes shorter. Not that the film is very long -- it clocks in at about and hour and forty -- but some of the information gets reiterated in an attempt to stretch out the content of the film. But for those who did not know too much about the situation, HAPPY VALLEY is very informative and fairly engaging. It is now playing at the Midtown Cinema.
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