The Blind (Movie Review & Giveaway)

Calling all Duck Commander fans! You won’t want to miss THE BLIND, a movie prequel to Duck Dynasty, now showing in theaters!

“You hear stories about how the impossible happened. Well, this is one of those stories.” ~Phil Robertson

Synopsis

Long before Phil Robertson became a reality TV star, he fell in love with Miss Kay Carroway and started a family, but soon his demons threatened to tear their lives apart. Set in the backwoods swamps of 1960s Louisiana, THE BLIND shares never-before-revealed moments in Phil’s life as he seeks to conquer the shame of his past, ultimately finding redemption in an unlikely place. This stunning cinematic journey chronicles the love story that launched a dynasty, the turmoil that nearly brought it crashing down, and the hope that rose from the ashes to create a foundation for generations to come.

Experience the incredible true story of Phil and Kay Robertson from Duck Dynasty in the new movie, THE BLIND – in theaters now!

Review

First of all, I can’t say I’m a Duck Dynasty fan because I never watched the show. But from what I’ve heard about the Robertson family, they seem like good Christian people. So I was interested in this movie to find out what they were all about. THE BLIND is a great introduction to how Phil Robertson got started in the duck call business, so I may actually go watch the series now.

Phil and his siblings grew up in Vivian, Louisiana. Their family was impoverished due to financial setbacks. They lived in primitive conditions with significantly fewer amenities than the average American enjoyed. Instead of going to the grocery store, the Robertsons consumed the produce they grew in their garden and got their meat from animals they raised and hunted.

“It was the 1950s. But if you pulled up to our yard, you would have thought it was the 1850s. That’s how poor we were.” ~Phil Robertson

Phil and Kay started dating when they were teenagers. He played on the school football team and she was the daughter of a wealthy store owner. She loved reading pioneer stories and didn’t look down on Phil’s family because they were poor. They got married when Kay was 16 and she became pregnant while still in high school.

Phil went to Louisiana Tech college on a football scholarship. He was a standout quarterback and even started ahead of the now-legendary Terry Bradshaw. But Phil turned down an offer to play in the NFL because it interfered with duck hunting season. He later said, “Bradshaw went after the bucks and I went after the ducks.” Ever since Phil was a young boy, he loved hanging around the woods and swamps.

In the 1970s, Phil went through a dark period and his life began to spiral out of control. It’s too bad Big Al was such a bad influence on him. They were good friends but Al is the one who introduced Phil to cigarettes and alcohol. The movie shows Phil drinking and partying with friends, but it didn’t delve into his philandering.

THE BLIND shows what an amazingly strong Christian woman Miss Kay was. Although she came from a privileged background, she fell in love with Phil and his rugged lifestyle. Even while separated from her husband, Kay worked hard to raise their boys and to see Phil saved. Kay’s faith is what kept the family intact through the hard times, and she deserves a lot of credit for that.

It was great to see Phil’s brother Si(las) as a kid and a young man. You could already tell he was the witty one. Si and his sister Janice both tried to help their brother and his wife during the difficult times. Janice gave Kay this advice:

“When I was little and momma was in the hospital and daddy was on the oil rigs, I used to cry myself to sleep every night. And then, one Sunday, I heard the preacher down at church sayin that at some point in our lives we are all going to feel desperately alone like we’re the only soul in the whole entire world. And that would be the most important moment in our whole entire lives. Because we’d realize that with Jesus, we ain’t never alone. So, I stopped cryin myself to sleep at night and started praying instead.”

Phil was at his lowest point when he found Christ and reconciled with his wife. Soon after they got back together was when he invented his duck call device. It was fascinating to see how he got the idea from a children’s toy! At the end of the movie, the family is shown at the dining table with Phil praying over the meal. The real Phil Robertson comes on at the end of the movie with a gospel message.

“You’ve got to come to the end of yourself to find the beginning of God.” ~Phil Robertson

CAUTION: This film contains some intense thematic elements including anger, domestic abuse, drinking and smoking. Please note that these elements are included to show the raw, true story of the Robertsons and what God did in their lives to bring them where they are now. THE BLIND is an emotional film that showcases God’s redemptive power to change our lives when we surrender to Him!

Buy tickets today to see THE BLIND in theaters now!

Giveaway

THE BLIND sponsors are giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky Homeschooling Teen reader! Please leave a comment with your full name and email address by 10/6/23 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time for a chance to win. (Comments are moderated so it may take yours a while to show up if you haven’t posted before. Your email address will not be published.) This giveaway is limited to US winners only. You can only win one Amazon gift card for this giveaway, so if you are a winner on another blog you cannot win here. The sponsor is responsible for mailing out prizes.

Disclosure

Many thanks to Tread Lively for providing this film to review! Opinions are 100% my own. #TheBlindMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork