Open Wide

I have been reading and watching videos on this topic for a few years now. It's exciting that a documentary like this can bring the information to a wider audience. I sure wish Dr. Mew had treated me when I needed orthodontic help! I'd be a different person now. I was one of those typical kids with an overbite who had two top teeth pulled and the top teeth pushed back to fit my receding chin.

I really feel that being "ugly" has harmed many of my opportunities in life. I try not to spend time regretting it, and of course my true friends love me as I am, but I was constantly picked on as a child, looked down on as a teen, and am usually disregarded as an adult. I've never been married and I think I might have been if I were a bit prettier (not discounting the fact that many people more homely than I are happily married...so who knows?). Being ugly does a lot for your character, of course, and I wouldn't want to be extremely pretty either, but I'd like to be closer to average.

The sinus problems, mouth breathing, snoring, etc. Haven't been a great experience either. Thankfully I discovered mouth taping 8 years ago and noticed immediately that I felt more refreshed in the morning. Still not great, and I recently decided I should get tested for sleep apnea (hasn't happened yet). But the cool thing is that mouth taping at night retrained me to the point where I realized maybe 4 years ago that I don't mouth breathe during the day any more. My normal relaxed position now is with my mouth closed, which brings many benefits. Before, it was simply impossible to keep my mouth closed without thinking about it constantly, and it wasn't comfortable. I'm 58, but I can even tell that my teeth have shifted. I'm not sure yet where this will end up, but I'm not going back to mouth breathing! Now I need to get serious about learning to mew. I'll try the Mews' (fairly new) app on my phone when I get a chance.

I was attracted to this documentary by its preview, thinking it would have information and facts about orthodontistry vs. Orthotropics. I got 3/4 of the way through it and realized this film is about John Mew and Michael Mew, not about orthodontistry, the Mews' method of orthotropics or even the "mewing" trend. You'll hear opinions, opinions presented as facts and plenty of dissent but no actual facts or science about the practices and procedures at the center of this argument. Aside from mewing, I still don't know what exactly the standard practice in orthotropics is or what it involves. My best guess would be that it includes jaw and tongue "training" as opposed to standard orthodontic procedures, like fixed braces or surgery. But I'm still not sure and plan to do my own research since this doc didn't appear to do any. Imo, this is a film profiling John Mew and Michael Mew. This is not an educational documentary. Personally, I found the film to be a big bore. The banter between John and Michael wasn't entertaining or endearing to me and I wasn't interested in their personal lives in the slightest. Despite the presence of professional challenges, there was no background, information or explanation of what they were facing, so that didn't leave me with much. I had reached my threshold when a young patient's mother whipped out her ukulele and said she wrote a 7 minute long song and then proceeded to start strumming it that I switched to my K dramas. Unless you're a big fan of John or Michael Mew, I'd recommend skipping this film.

I started following Mew's methods at 17, and now at 21, my facial structure has visibly improved. My cheekbones are more defined, my jaw broader, and my teeth align better. Though progress has slowed, I still notice changes. It's never too late to start, and once you build up the right strength, it becomes second nature.

It's sad how pioneers like Mew often face resistance from society. You'd think we'd learn from history, but old habits persist. Yet, here we are, embracing and appreciating his groundbreaking work with gratitude.

History shows true visionaries often meet skepticism from traditional authorities. The scientific community sometimes rejects ideas unjustly. When Dr. Mew's contributions are acknowledged, they better give them a Nobel Prize.

So, Dr. Mew, keep pushing forward. The scientific community may be slow, but your perseverance will prevail. Thank you for challenging the status quo and paving the way for a healthier future.

This movie is both a really interesting deep dive into an arcane subject, and, more importantly, a great character study. Reminded me at times of Grey Gardens, King of Kong, even some of Errol Morris's quirkier movies.

It's funny and odd and manages to paint the two protagonists as hopeless Quixotes while simultaneously rendering a poignant image of a son who wants his father to have a legacy.

I was surprised to see some of the negative reviews here-it's like we watched a different movie. Made me want to write my own to even out the scales a bit. Really: I wish we had more thoughtfully-made, engaging docs like this one. Seems like they are fewer and farther between these days.

This documentary was a complete waste of time. I was initially intrigued by the trailer and premise of looking at the Mews and their obscure treatments, but very little is told in the way of the history, practices, and their licensure. What is shown is disjointed and full of missing critical details to the point where I had to keep pausing to read up on what really happened. This is mostly bizarre and often irrelevant dialogue with the Mews, separately and together, with no real plot or ending. Save yourself the boredom and time and just spend a few minutes reading up on them, their history, and practices online.