Mayim Bialik, executive producer of new family documentary ‘Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory’

Filmmaker Justin Johnson didn’t have a conventional childhood. While his conservative Christian parents in small-town Wisconsin preached church values ​​and limited screen time for Justin and his siblings, they also had a secret: They custom-made prosthetic nipples for breast cancer survivors in a hidden room in their home.

Now, Justin is telling his family’s story in his new documentary, “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory,” a heartwarming film about a beautiful love story, the strength he found in difficult times, and how his family came together despite political and religious differences. Mayim Bialik and her company Sad Clown Productions produced the documentary, which has been screening at film festivals and is available to stream on VOD platforms.

“I heard the title and I was like, ‘What’s going on right now? What’s that title?’” Bialik said with a laugh. “I couldn’t even imagine what it was. But when I saw the movie, I immediately discovered that it was profound. There’s so much humor and heart in this movie. I thought, if I could be involved in this project and get more people to see it, I would.”

The tagline for “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory” is: “Some husbands give flowers. Brian made his wife the perfect nipple.” The film follows Brian and Randi Johnson, along with their children, as they discuss their family life and their reactions to Randi’s breast cancer diagnosis. She undergoes a unilateral mastectomy, which saves her life, but she doesn’t feel whole. To make her feel like herself again, Brian decides to make his wife a custom-made nipple implant.

He succeeds and together they quietly start a business of custom nipples for other breast cancer survivors, who praise the couple for their work and dedication. At the same time, the film tells their love story, showing how devoted they are to each other.

“There aren’t a lot of documentary romantic comedies about breast cancer,” Justin said.

Bialik has witnessed breast cancer up close. Her grandmother and a good friend have been diagnosed with it, while many of her friends have been tested for the BRCA gene and some have had preventative double mastectomies. She said, “One of the best things about this movie is that it’s very humorous.”

Justin added: “Humour is a survival technique. I think anyone in the audience who has been through breast cancer will see that laughter is healing. They’ll be in a dressing room and a nipple will fall out and they’ll be looking for it like a missing contact lens. They’ll say, ‘Have you seen my nipple?’ It’s a bit absurd, but you have to approach it that way to survive.”

Along with having a good sense of humor, faith is also what kept Brian and Randi going as they dealt with their diagnosis. Although Bialik is Jewish and the Johnsons are Christian, she identified with the religious aspect of their story.

“It was a truly beautiful place of connection,” she said. “The film is a tribute to the strong faith that carried this family through a series of extraordinary challenges.”

Much of the film focuses not only on the breast cancer diagnosis and the nipple affair that followed, but also on Justin’s difficult relationship with his parents. He turns the camera on himself, showing how he moved away from his family when he was younger and, when his mother emailed him to tell him she had cancer, it took him a week to respond.

“It was really hard to include that in the documentary, but it gave us the space, like therapy, to be able to talk about it on a new level and actively repair our relationship,” said Justin, who goes by Justinsuperstar in his professional life. “I was wondering how much of myself I should include in this process. It was part of the process of becoming whole again.”

Even though Justin and his parents have different worldviews, making the film brought them together and helped them get back on their feet. It also serves as a lesson for other families facing similar challenges.

“My parents and I vote differently and believe in different things, which is what a lot of families do,” he said. “I tried to be the black sheep of the family, but my parents were proactive and didn’t let me. I’m very fortunate that we can be on different sides of the political spectrum and still be able to communicate. I want people to see an American family united during a divisive time.”

Looking back on creating “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory,” Justin said he appreciated the opportunity to connect with his mother and father in this way and ensure their legacy lives on.

“I feel lucky to have had these conversations with my parents and understand them,” he said. “I’ll be able to show this documentary to my daughter and say, ‘This is what grandpa and grandma were like, and yes, they developed nipples.’”

“When I saw the film, I immediately discovered that it was profound. There is so much humor and heart in this film.” – Mayim Bialik

As for Bialik, she’s looking forward to audiences discovering the Johnsons’ interesting, yet deeply touching, story.

“We are grateful for our partnership with Justin and the reception we have received,” she said. “We can’t wait for people to see it and be moved by it.”

“Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory” will be screened at Laemmle Town Center 5 on Ventura Boulevard from September 6-12 at 12:50 p.m., 3:05 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.