bad education hbo 2020 True Story

BAD EDUCATION HBO 2020 True Story

 (BELL RINGING) <i> Bad Education</i> is a really wildtrue story. HUGH JACKMAN:<i> It's very much a cautionary tale.</i> Things aren't what they appearto be. <i> And people aren't what they appear to be.</i> It's darkly comic,and sinister. It is just a slow, drip,drip, drip. Something doesn't look righton the books here. (CHUCKLES) -Hey, Frank.-Yeah. I've been doing some digging.I'm concerned with what I found. ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ CORY FINLEY:Bad Education<i> is the story of the largest embezzlement</i> <i> scandal in American public school history.</i> It's based on a true storythat happened in the early 2000s. And... action. JACKMAN:<i> Frank Tassone, who was the superintendent</i> <i> of a Long Island school in Roslyn.</i> He was very successful,he got the school from being way downin the rankings to number four <i> in the country. You see, over the story,</i> <i> he and several staff members start embezzling</i> from the public school system. -What?-(OVERLAPPING CROWD CHATTER) Everything's fine. FINLEY:<i>It's a script by Mike Makowsky,who went to Roslyn High School.</i> An amazing resource for me. The first major journalisticoutlet to report on the scandal was<i> Newsday.</i>Once the dam broke, it was reported nationwideby<i> New York Times</i> <i> on a week-to-week basis. Paul Vitello,</i> the reporter that did itwas the father of my friend Sam. <i> I asked Paul how he first got a beat on the story</i> <i>and he said</i> The Hilltop Beacon,<i> the school paper.</i> Which was crazy. This is two pagesof contractor bids, building materials,and zoning ordinances. -Yeah, it's journalism.-Our readers are 15. Rachel being a studentwho works <i> at the school newspaper, I felt like that</i> to kind of stumble upon thisvery heavy truth, that's a lot of responsibilityfor a high school student. It's an amazing storyabout how these kids had the courage to go up againstthese huge authority figures. I mean I rememberwhat it was like when I was 15,I would barely speak to the-- the superintendent.Let alone... send him to jail. <i> Allison and I and Cory talked about how Frank</i> is always well-presented,but there's one person he can let his guard down with.And that is Pam. (BLENDER WHIRRING) Allison is an actorof amazing range, and always did sucha wonderful job humanizing Pam. She's a woman who worked so hardto get where she was. She started outas a bus driver. She was a real go-getter. July and Augustare all settled up, -expenses booked and archived.-Perfect. And they were togetherfor 12 years, <i>and saw the whole school system rise, and rise, and rise.</i> I got us all the wayto number four, and I will get usto number one. We definitely thoughtit was very important <i> that we really understood Frank,</i> that he really was kind ofan educator and a teacher at heart. Chad's a smart kidwith the world ahead of him. And it's our jobto give him the runway. It's really, really excitingto be able to see <i> Hugh Jackman step into this role.</i> He is just truly oneof the most likable human beings <i> and actors around.</i> In the case of Frank Tassone,that charisma is weaponized. Frank was someonewho charmed everybody. He was very good at knowingexactly the buttons to push for the peoplethat he's talking to. We're inviting<i> The Times, Newsday,</i> and every other paperin the tri-state area -to our front door.-With all due respect, screw the papers.This is a very real crime here. ♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ (BELL RINGING) When you find outthat all of this happened... it will shock you,it will at times make you laugh, hopefully it will make usall think twice about those people we holdin positions of power. If this scandal gets out,we... will lose everything. ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪