From My Kid Could Paint That director Amir Bar-Lev comes a tough documentary that’s both candid and dividing—Happy Valley. The story of Penn State University’s 2011 scandal is a disconnected memory for many, as the 24-hour-news networks came to us in broken waves on the shores of perceptions. After memories of the monstrous activities of Jerry Sandusky started to come to light, the area known as “Happy Valley,” whose pride is cached in the innumerable victories of the Penn State football team, watched in horror as local patron saint Joe Paterno was discovered to have been knowledgeable about Sandusky’s activities. But does knowing of a crime make someone just as guilty as the perpetrator? Or did Paterno act to the best of his abilities to address a very complicated issue?

There are many layers to this movie. It’s first a troubling moralist tale about the dangers of fanaticism and putting fallible people on a pedestal. But, deeper than that, it’s also productive for showing many people the problem with emotions in argument, and how heated sentiment can only add further damage to what should be a civil discussion. Both supporters and critics of Paterno are guilty of their own crime, which is not respecting the points of other people. It is because of this that the hearts and minds of Happy Valley will never be able to revisit the unity of past pride, but will forever be longing for those happy days.

It’s a great marriage of viewpoints that serves an objective goal while preserving the perspectives and feelings of those affected in the Sandusky scandal. It’s essential viewing for anyone who wishes to understand issues as complex as sociology or faith, especially tested by troubling times.