A new feature film that tells the harrowing, real-life story of “Duck Dynasty” stars Phil and Miss Kay Robertson’s early marriage is raw, powerful, and offers a unique lens into the family’s origin story.
“The Blind,” a deeply personal journey, stunned Hollywood observers over the weekend, when it opened in the top five at the box office, despite being shown in fewer theaters than some competitors.
And, as CBN News reported, the movie is even sparking spiritual change, with reports of dozens of baptisms following screenings.
The movie’s contents certainly pull on viewers’ heartstrings. Long before their A&E glory days, the Robertsons struggled in their marriage, with Phil finding himself lost, aloof, disconnected from his wife and children, womanizing, and dependent on alcohol. The movie dives deep into these realities.
Phil’s journey of leaving the mess behind and embracing Jesus — and Kay’s quest to forgive — provide the heartbeat behind “The Blind.” Willie Robertson, Phil’s and Miss Kay’s son, appeared on CBN Digital alongside his wife, Korie, to discuss the real-life story behind the movie. Watch them explain:
Willie said the film was challenging to watch at moments, but is an essential story of deliverance and finding the Lord. And Korie noted the importance of telling their family’s imperfect yet redemptive story.
“You look in Scripture and over and over again, the people that God uses are not the perfect people, is not the perfect family,” she said. “It’s in our weakness that God’s glory is revealed and that we are made strong … God can use you and your story, even if your past looks like this, even if … there’s things in your, in your story that [were] really horrible.”
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Willie and Korie also explored how Phil and Miss Kay’s early years shaped them and helped craft the story underpinning “The Blind.”
Forgiveness, love, and the Gospel are other themes explored in the movie and heralded in the conversation with Willie and Korie.
“Unfortunately for Phil — or, perhaps fortunately, his life continued to spin out of control, especially then when he was in the loneliness and depths of despair, and everything else he was doing that actually pushed him to the Lord,” Willie said. “And sometimes that’s what it takes for a bunch of people, it was just a hit rock bottom … that’s where he was.”
Watch Willie and Korie discuss “The Blind.”
Phil and Miss Kay also directly shared their journey in a separate interview with CBN Digital. They, too, said opening up and being vulnerable about past mistakes wasn’t necessarily easy.
“It was embarrassing for me … when you tell people your sins,” Phil said. “You’ve already told them to God; He knew them.”
Kay, too, said the experience of being so forthcoming was difficult.
“It was pretty hard,” she said. “When I saw [the film] the first time, I cried from start to finish, because it was just so real, and they were doing such a great job … playing us, and then it was like reliving the hardest time of your life.”
Phil said he was a “drunkard and a heathen” and that it was humbling to watch it all play out on the big screen. Miss Kay, for her part, described Phil as “hard,” “distrusting,” and a very “jealous” man before he came to faith — attributes observed in “The Blind.”
“He just had some devil qualities … and I would tell the boys … ‘That’s the devil in him. He’s a good man, but the devil has got a hold of him. He’s living in him right now. And what we want is to pray for God to get him out,’” she recounted.
Fortunately, those prayers worked and the Robertson family legacy has become one to celebrate. “The Blind” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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