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Happy Valley

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The town of State College, Pennsylvania 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 not only for its success on the field but also its students' achievements in the classroom, and Paterno took on mythic national stature as "Saint Joe." But 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.

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Cast & Crew See All

Joe Paterno
Self - Football Coach, Penn State University
Jay Paterno
Self - Joe Paterno's Son
Andrew Shubin
Self - Local Attorney

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Happy Valley
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Awards

  • 2014 - Audience Award - American Independents - nominated
  • 2014 - Jury Prize - Best Documentary Feature - winner
  • 2014 - Honorable Mention - Best Documentary Feature - winner
  • 2017 - Cinema Eye Honors Award - Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television - nominated

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