Who are the DeBolts?

The kindhearted Bob and Dorothy DeBolt are the subjects of this documentary from 1977, which takes a look at their lives as they attempt to raise 19 kids. Six of the children come from Bob and Dorothy's previous marriages, but the rest are all handicapped children that the DeBolt's have adopted. Director John Korty lets his camera's loose on the family, and provides a touching film that debunks a lot of myths about the physically disabled, presenting them as survivors who go about their day in much the same way as their able-bodied counterparts. Never sinking into condescension, Korty's film follows the kids as they undertake their daily routines, while also enjoying their family lives as they laugh, joke, and play with their siblings and parents. A tremendously moving film, WHO ARE THE DEBOLTS' is a unique, uplifting take on people whose lives have been severely affected by physical disability, and deservedly won an Oscar in 1978 for Best Documentary Feature. Also included here is STEPPIN' OUT WITH THE DEBOLTS, a film made five years later, which catches up with the family.