The Penn Stater Magazine

‘Amy’s Story’ to be Told in New York

December 6, 2010 at 5:15 pm Tina Hay 1 comment

Joe Myers ’98 and his colleagues in Penn State Public Broadcasting must be thrilled with the attention that their 2010 documentary, Telling Amy’s Story, is getting. The film, which Myers directed, has already aired on more than two hundred PBS stations nationwide, and tomorrow night it will be screened in New York City for the first time—with Meredith Vieira hosting the event.

Telling Amy’s Story is the sobering true story of a State College woman, Amy Homan McGee ’91a, who was trapped in an abusive relationship—and who was eventually shot to death by her husband. Vince McGee was convicted of first-degree murder and is now serving a life sentence.

In the film, police detective Deirdri Fishel (pictured above) recounts Amy’s tale, and those who knew Amy—her mother, her coworkers, a police sergeant, and others—talk about the warning signs they saw in Amy’s relationship with Vince. Filmmaker Myers also scored a coup when he persuaded actress Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU to speak at the beginning and end of the documentary.

The New York screening on Tuesday night comes on the eve of a national event called “It’s Time to Talk Day,” which focuses on raising awareness about domestic violence.

Penn State has an extensive website devoted to Telling Amy’s Story, including a trailer you can watch and information on how to purchase the film. The hope is that civic groups, domestic-violence programs, employers, and others throughout the country will take advantage of the opportunity to learn from Amy’s tragedy.

We’ve got a story by Vicki Glembocki ’93, ’02g about the making of Telling Amy’s Story forthcoming in our January-February issue.

Tina Hay, editor

Entry filed under: Penn State alumni. Tags: Amy Homan McGee, Deirdri Fishel, It's Time to Talk Day, Joe Myers, Mariska Hargitay, Penn State Public Broadcasting, Telling Amy's Story, Vicki Glembocki.