A Few Best Men

This was the official website for the 2012 comedy, A Few Best Men whose title changed to Three Men and A Sheep for the release in some countries, is about a groom-to-be and his three best men who travel to Australia for an unforgettable wedding filled with chaos and culture clashes.
Content is from the site's archived pages and outside review sources.

Rating: NR
Genre: Comedy
Directed By:    Stephan Elliott, Stephan Elliot
Written By:     Dean Craig
On Disc/Streaming:    May 5, 2015
Runtime:         97 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

Rebel Wilson and Olivia Newton-John deliver massive laughs in this wickedly funny comedy about supporting your best friends "for better or for worse". When David unexpectedly gets engaged during a whirlwind vacation, his best friends are determined to send him off into married life in signature style. But when they arrive in Australia, the nuptial plans go from bad to worse as the guys discover that unpredictable relatives, a cross-dressing sheep and a deranged drug dealer don't necessarily equate to a match made in heaven. It's going to be a day no one will forget in this hilarious film from the acclaimed director of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (Original Title - A Few Best Men) - 2011 Universal Studios.

TOMATOMETER 15% CRITICS | AUDIENCE 36%

Press Reviews

August 28, 2012 | Rating: 2/5
Guy Lodge Time Out Top Critic

Studio script readers seemingly require three in-trays on their desks these days: one for superhero movies, one for wedding comedies, and one for everything else. Lukewarm on the heels of ‘The Wedding Video’ comes this entry from the bottom end of the middle pile. Stephan Elliott’s Down Under farce makes no secret of its debt to ‘The Hangover’, aiming to extend that film’s laddish colonisation of a genre once seen as a secure chick-flick stronghold. With its most extravagant gags revolving around sheep in drag and Olivia Newton-John on coke, however, the infrequently uproarious results are more of an acquired taste.
When mild-mannered Londoner David (Xavier Samuel) proposes to wealthy Aussie Mia (Laura Brent) after a whirlwind holiday romance, his best friends back home – obnoxious player Tom (a game Kris Marshall, liberated from those ghastly BT ads), socially awkward Graham (Kevin Bishop and lovelorn depressive Luke (Tim Draxl) – sceptically agree to act as groomsmen at the lavish outback nuptials. The bumbling Brits almost immediately run afoul of Mia’s pushy politico dad (Jonathan Biggins) and prissy mum (Newton-John, having by far the most fun here), and that’s before they begin lowering the tone with drunken car accidents, scorned drug dealers and gimp masks.
Frivolous stuff, but there’s a sour edge to the silliness, with far more gay panic colouring the jokes than you’d expect from the director of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.’ The presence of ‘Bridesmaids’ star Rebel Wilson, meanwhile, only serves to underline how much sharper (and smuttier) that particular wed-com was: ladies, the floor is still yours.

+++

September 11, 2017 | Rating: 2/5
Francesca Rudkin New Zealand Herald

A low brow version of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, this crude comedy is filled with one-dimensional characters, a pretty lame set-up and humour that is only occasionally ridiculous enough to make you laugh rather than cower.
A Few Best Men is a similar idea to writer Dean Craig's previous Death at a Funeral, but this time the craziness and outrageous antics take place at a wedding. The set-up is brief and far from convincing as a couple of backpackers, Brit David (Samuel) and Aussie Mia (Laura Brent), decide to get married after spending 10 days together on a deserted Pacific Island.
Arriving in Australia the day before the wedding, David is freaked out to discover he's marrying into the Australian version of the Kennedy family. It should be a good thing he has his three childhood mates there to support him. Unfortunately, it's anything but. An infuriating bunch of selfish, self-destructive, rude and clumsy fools, the three quickly turn the society wedding into a non-stop farce. There are gay jokes, cheap shots at Australia's penal colony past, a drug deal gone wrong and a sheep in drag that requires resuscitation, and while plenty of it goes way beyond tasteful, director Stephan Elliot (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) manages to generate a laugh or two - or perhaps he just wears you down so it feels like you've got no choice but to laugh.
Samuel and Brent don't really get a chance to shine, as most of the action involves best men Tom (Kris Marshall) and Graham (Kevin Bishop). These two feed off each other and keep the chaos coming but they're as infuriating as they are engaging and, after 97 minutes, it's a relief to see the end of them.
he not-so-happy day does have its bright spots. Comedian Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) plays Mia's lesbian sister Daphne and has only to stand in shot to make you smile. Olivia Newton-John has a blast as the bride's mother, Barbara. It's an over-the-top performance, yet she proves she's a good sort, stealing the show with her chandelier swinging and cocaine snorting antics. At least someone had fun.
Stars: 2/5
Cast: Rebel Wilson, Xavier Samuel, Olivia Newton-John
Director: Stephan Elliott
Running time: 97 mins
Rating: R16 (Violence, offensive language & drug use)
Verdict: Lots of vulgar silliness, not enough laughs.

+++

September 3, 2012
Philip French Observer (UK)

The most dislikable collection of friends in literature are Bassanio and his coarse, sponging chums in The Merchant of Venice. I was reminded of them last week when recalling that the worst of the lot – the witless, anti-semitic Gratiano – was played in the Al Pacino film version by Kris Marshall. A specialist in such roles, Marshall virtually reprises his Gratiano as one of three loathsome Londoners who create havoc when they accompany their best friend to Australia to be best men at his wedding. He's to marry the daughter of a self-made Liberal senator at a grand villa in the Blue Mountains, outside Sydney. The setting is as beautiful as the goings-on are clumsy and grotesque. When embarrassment fails to be funny, it ends up as truly excruciating, and such is the case here. The saddest casualty is Olivia Newton-John as the bride's depressed mother who gets high on coke provided by the British best men.

+++

A Few Hours of Trash
6 September 2012 | by Hylian123 IMDb
Whilst I found myself laughing during this film, and feeling good for having seen it, I am frankly shocked by the crimes committed in review number 2. The script is not sharply written, by ANY stretch of the imagination. Frankly, what was clearly intended to be comic dialogue is in essence nothing more than obscenities. I walked into the cinema expecting some refreshing British wit and humour and all I received was nob-gags and slapstick. Don't get me wrong, American style humour, whilst different, is very funny when written well, but this is not on that level. My laughter was forced for the duration of this film, and frankly I expected more from the likes of Kris Marshal and Kevin Bishop. Although it was funny, not sure why the producers decided to make such a big deal about the poor custodian who is repeatedly locked into his janitorial supplies closet. I get there might have been a product placement fee involved, but the joke was only funny once, and from then on, the placement works against the company. Plus I have a soft spot for janitors, so making fun of them doesn't play so well. And there was so much potential for Australian cultural humour, even of the crass variety, but that well is left untapped throughout. And as for the supposed 'realism' that some reviews claim, this is possibly the most unconvincing comedy I've ever seen! Since when can positions in the Australian parliament be inherited? That said the film is rather heart-warming at times, with the central couple having a genuinely convincing chemistry. And Olivia Newton John provides a frankly staggering comic turn. But on the whole this film fell short of expectations, and is just a bit disappointing. By all means watch it if you're in the mood for cheap laughs, of which there are plenty, but don't go expecting British comedy gold because you simply will not get it.

+++

September 3, 2012 | Rating: 2/5
Alex Zane The Sun (UK)

This stomach-churningly dreadful film proves that our friends in the Southern Hemisphere can scrape corners of the barrel inaccessible to even the most fetid American imaginations.

+++

The trio is demented and puts the wedding at risk
by Alessandra Levantesi La Stampa
After the British parenthesis of An English Marriage, Stephan Elliott, the director of Priscilla, returns to Australia and to the demented register of beginnings. The occasion is the wedding of the young Londoner David with a rich aussie heiress known on an exotic beach. Being an orphan, David invites his three dearest friends to represent the family: but a family of that kind can be a disaster. While the preparations are underway for the ceremony, the trio combines all the colors in style A lions night, putting at risk the marriage and not only. »

+++

The farce is good for Australia
by Fabio Ferzetti Il Messaggero
Four goliardoni and a wedding. The marriage, in remote Australia, is the one that will unite until death do not separate one of the four members of the group to a beauty of the antipodes that will turn out to be the daughter of an important politician in the election campaign, as well as bound by tenacious superstition to a cuddly lucky mutton . Being crude descendants of the convicts sent to the southern colonies (at least according to the established British prejudice), the three amiconi, English to the tip of the hair, do not make too many problems with the label. »

+++

And let's have a laugh
by Vincenzo Cerami Il Sole-24 Ore
Comedies spin a lot, maybe too many. Film generously comedy few, indeed very few. Because they are more difficult to write and to shoot, they need a light spirit and unleashed on the level of fantasy. On the level of credibility they are barely standing, and they feed on a childish stupidity that also disdains the smallest psychological deepening. These are narrative machines that construct one gag after another, put together for a visibly pretextual plot. »

+++

Elliot wedding party
by Silvio Danese National Daily
Chronicle of one of the most paradoxical film wedding parties, at the edge of the cartoon, starting with a group of broken English friends who break into the life of a rigid and rich Australian family, in the Blue Mountains. With "Priscilla" (1994) Elliott acquired an eternal credit card, confirmed by "An English Wedding" (2008) by Coward and reconfirmed here, with some exaggeration. Starring Olivia Newton John horny lady, demonstrates to De Laurentiis and the factories of Boldi & De Sica how to make a real comedian in which he does not skimp on poop, drugs and sex, but with vulgarity and drained with vigorous times. »

+++

From the public side Italian Reviews
* * *
:)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by Millu
cute :) every now and then a movie that makes you laugh it takes .... you are three idiots, you offend human intelligence, there is better you are yes to everything you want to say to this cute movie nice alternative. I recommend it to all those who want to spend that hour and a half with a smile on the lips accompanied by some loud laugh cute :) every now and then a movie that makes you laugh it takes .... you are three idiots, you offend human intelligence, there is better you are yes to everything you want to say to this cute movie nice alternative.

I recommend it to all those who want to spend that hour and a half with a smile on the lips accompanied by some loud laugh

* * * - -

A trio a lot ... alternative
Saturday, February 18, 2012 by olgadik
Unbogged, a little indecent, trash but with "taste", already seen in some respects but overwhelming in the rhythm and written by a screenwriter (Dean Craig) who, even at the level of dementia, knows how to create almost real characters: this is the new film by Stephan Elliot. And in all this also a sheep or rather a sort of super-hog ram (symbol of the economic and political fortune of the father of the bride) involved in episodes completely unbecoming for a "myth" of the family. The central event is a marriage, a subject that the director has in his DNA, since at fourteen he started using the camera making wedding films for a long time. The penultimate feature film, "An English Wedding", came many years later "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (with a tattered and cute drag-queen in the middle), he treated a marriage with a relative ceremony in England in a socially unfair manner. In "Three Men and a Sheep", after the very first sequences, the scene is transferred to Australia, but it is still a wedding. After a dream holiday, David English and Mia Australiana decide to get married. On the eve of the fateful date, the groom arrives on the estate with the magnificent Blue Mountains in the background and discovers that his future wife is very rich, with snobby parents who are not tied to each other and an obese sister who pretends to be a lesbian to rage at the unbearable parent. Following David, the three friends of the heart, acting as a family that the young man did not have an orphan. Two of them will also have to be witnesses, since the third, planted by his woman, is perpetually drunk. From this point on the trio for ingenuity, jealousy, roughness, it will make all the colors in an incredible carousel with often pushed beats, deliberately exaggerated scenes ranging from horror to total farce, dragging the viewer between the incredulity and rice. The facts follow each other freewheeling, sometimes the outcome is obvious, but the whole is supported by a pleasantly cynical or frankly comical interpretation of the main characters. See in this regard the mother of the bride, the actress of John Travolta in Grease, and here unleashed and unhappy mother unfaithful cocaine and dancing hanging from a chandelier during the reception, turned into a kind of arena. Obviously the happy ending, but without forgetting even in the end a bit 'of sadistic malice. The interpreters of the three British boys are grotesque and paradoxical at the right point. More blurred the character of the groom (Xavier Samuel) that has mainly a function of connection between the various sequences. Beautiful and angelic, between so much chaos and mockery to social hypocrisy, the bride Mia (Kris Marshall) that shows off the ways and hairstyles from Botticellian spring.

* * - - -
American pie and a sheep
Sunday, April 1, 2012 of Annu83

It is not my habit to write comments on films of this type, and it is also true that I rarely allow myself the luxury of spending / wasting two hours to watch one. But so ... and this time I fell.
David and Mia know each other on a mysterious exotic beach, fall in love and decide to get married. The location of the wedding will be Australia, on the estate of Mia's parents. It would seem easy if there was not a problem: the "acquired" family of Dave are three disbanded friends and combines messy, a bit 'rough, a little' unlucky and quite vulgar who are instructed to follow the groom in Australia. And so on to the ambiguous situations, unthinkable stuff and at the limit (and beyond) the demential.
In short, there would be all the ingredients for the classic and useless blockbuster film that only serves to impoverish the film market.
Well, let's say that the film does not differ much from this premise, but on the other hand there are flashes of absolute comedy and, at times, can contain vulgarity and trash scenes (apart from the arm in the ass of the sheep, which could quietly avoid and that does lose half a vote in the film), and this is certainly a relief.
In a film in which the wedding is at the crux of the speech as the groom is a marginal actor, the real protagonists are the 3 friends and the mother of the bride, who goes to the chair towards the end, but worth the wait. Rain of laughter and buried the ugly initial omens. The real protagonists, as we said, are the three witnesses of the groom (actually two because Luke, after being unloaded by the fadanzata lives in constant state of intoxication), among which stands out an excellent Kris Marshall in the role of Tom, a sort of brain-injured stranger to the real world. It is he who keeps the film in motion creating the best punches, and at times to remember, and is a compliment, the almost contemporary Seann William Scott famous for being Stifler in the saga of the successful "American Pie". And indeed, looking at this "
There would also be a sheep, but someone else will talk about it ...
Ultimately, to be a "blockbuster style", a film that is at least acceptable.

* * * - -
Comedy with honey.
Saturday, January 19, 2013 of purplerain
three men a sheep and a marriage. There are all the ingredients for the film to seem banal: a beautiful couple of young people who get married after not so long having met, friends unscrewed and a father, her, authoritative and important, as well as rich. It seems the classic Hollywood cliché, and if we want it, because the film does not differ much from the classic themes of comedies on weddings: friends dedicated to drugs that are likely to blow up the marriage, the groom who must face the "Caudine Forks" of the father-in-law, the robbed drug dealer, and so on !! Yet the comedy flows fast, which is a pleasure, gives all the characters the right space and the right importance, does not relegate the main role to the protagonist, but it seems that the groom is the real compimario, because the gags are not born from his jokes, but from those of his untamed companions! The director, although connecting enough to other films on the genre, gives us a trip to the Australian land nice and never boring, but takes little effect of the landscape closing almost immediately in the intimacy of the house and not letting us enjoy the beautiful scenery typical of that wonderful land, that the screenplay should have bothered to show us !! It remains however fun and sweet !!! To be seen!! intimacy of the house and not letting us taste enough the beautiful scenery typical of that wonderful land, that the screenplay should have bothered to show us !! It remains however fun and sweet !!! To be seen!! intimacy of the house and not letting us taste enough the beautiful landscapes typical of that wonderful land, that the screenplay should have bothered to show us !! It remains however fun and sweet !!! To be seen!!

More Background On AFewBestMenTheMovie.com

AFewBestMenTheMovie.com served as the official online hub for the outrageous 2011/2012 comedy A Few Best Men, directed by Stephan Elliott and written by Dean Craig. Although the website now survives primarily through archived snapshots, it remains an important promotional artifact of early-2010s film marketing—an era when nearly every theatrical release had its own dedicated domain. The film’s website reflected the tone of the movie it represented: brash, chaotic, colorful, and proudly over-the-top.

This comprehensive article explores the website’s content, the film behind it, its audience and cultural significance, its international reception, and the broader digital ecosystem in which it originally lived.

History & Context of AFewBestMenTheMovie.com

When A Few Best Men entered the global market, specialized promotional websites were still a dominant component of film advertising. Social media existed, but studios and distributors still invested in standalone domains to house trailers, posters, production notes, and cast information. AFewBestMenTheMovie.com launched within this environment, serving as the authoritative home for official information.

The website’s launch coincided with the film’s marketing cycle, which spanned festival screenings in late 2011 through international releases across 2012. Over time, as the film completed its theatrical and home-media life, updates slowed and the site eventually fell dormant, preserved mainly in internet archives. Yet even today, the archived content provides a snapshot of how comedies of the period were promoted.

The Film Represented by the Website

A Few Best Men is a farcical comedy about a British groom who travels to Australia with his three best friends for a high-society wedding that spirals into disaster. The groom, David, proposes to Mia after a whirlwind island romance, and the film follows his attempt to integrate into her wealthy, politically connected family. His best men—Tom, Graham, and Luke—cause escalating mayhem involving drugs, accidents, cultural misunderstandings, and an extremely unlucky sheep.

The film starred:

Xavier Samuel as David
Laura Brent as Mia
Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop, and Tim Draxl as the titular “best men”
Rebel Wilson as Mia’s sister
Olivia Newton-John as Barbara, the bride’s mother

The movie was known for its broad slapstick, crude humor, and wild set pieces. It was filmed mainly in Australia, particularly around the Blue Mountains region. This natural setting was featured prominently in promotional imagery, including photographs originally displayed on the film’s website.

Ownership & Production Background

Although AFewBestMenTheMovie.com did not contain a detailed legal-ownership section, the film’s production companies provide a clear sense of who oversaw its digital presence. The film was produced by Quickfire Films with support from Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Distribution in many regions was handled by Universal Pictures, with various independent distributors managing releases in Europe and elsewhere.

Given the marketing practices of the time, the official website would likely have been managed jointly by:

The film’s production marketing team
A contracted digital design agency
The distributors responsible for regional promotional materials

Together, these teams crafted the imagery, press language, and informational layout that defined AFewBestMenTheMovie.com.

Website Structure and Major Content Areas

Archived snapshots reveal a highly organized site structured around standard film-marketing categories. The design reflected the comedic, slightly irreverent tone of the movie, balancing bright visuals with quick-hit text summaries.

Overview Section

The top of the homepage contained a concise summary of the film’s premise, emphasizing:

A whirlwind engagement
A British groom meeting an Australian political dynasty
A group of unhinged best friends
A wedding descending into pandemonium

This overview introduced the film’s flavor: a blend of physical comedy, wedding chaos, and cross-cultural satire.

Director and Writer Highlights

The website acknowledged:

Stephan Elliott as director
Dean Craig as screenwriter

Both were known for their previous work in comedy, with Craig receiving recognition for Death at a Funeral, while Elliott was already internationally known for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The site used their reputations to generate interest, positioning the film as a bold entry in the global wedding-comedy space.

Cast Feature Pages

Individual cast profiles showcased the film’s notable performers. Although the web design was simpler than modern promotional sites, each actor received space for:

A character summary
A headshot or publicity image
Basic production notes

Special focus was placed on Olivia Newton-John and Rebel Wilson—two of the movie’s most humorous and memorable performers. Their comedic roles were highlighted to appeal to international audiences familiar with their broader careers.

Press Reviews Collection

One of the most detailed sections of the website was devoted to professional reviews. The site curated critiques from newspapers and magazines across several countries. These reviews often expressed mixed or negative critical opinions, but they also emphasized standout comedic moments and bold performances.

Examples of the critical themes included:

Praise for Olivia Newton-John’s wildly unconventional, high-energy role.
Recognition of Rebel Wilson as a bright comedic presence.
Comparisons to The Hangover, Bridesmaids, and similar wedding-chaos films.
Observations that the humor veered toward crude, absurd, or exaggerated.

The site also included excerpts from European critics writing in Italian. This reflected the film’s broad international rollout and the distributor’s intention to market it aggressively in continental Europe.

User Reviews and Audience Reactions

Alongside professional reviews, the site summarized several user-generated impressions from early audiences. These public comments tended to be more forgiving than the critics’ perspectives. Many viewers described the film as:

“Cute and silly”
“Trashy fun”
“A guilty pleasure”
“Crude but hilarious in parts”

Some comments specifically noted the cross-dressing sheep, the drug-fuelled misunderstandings, and the bride’s mother’s wild antics as highlights that delivered unexpected laughs.

Media Assets

The site contained various media elements typically found in film marketing campaigns:

High-resolution production stills
Posters for different territories
Red carpet photographs from Australian and international premieres
Behind-the-scenes shots that offered insight into filming

These media assets helped international distributors, journalists, and fans gain visual familiarity with the movie’s tone.

Release and Distribution Information

The website also listed essential release details, including:

Approximate runtime of 97 minutes
Release schedule for Australian and international markets
Home-media release information (DVD, Blu-ray, and later streaming availability)
Notes on alternative titles, including the comedic rebranding “Three Men and a Sheep” used in some countries

These details made the website a practical informational hub for both audiences and the press.

Popularity, Reach, and Audience Engagement

While A Few Best Men did not become a mainstream commercial hit, the website documented meaningful engagement from moviegoers in multiple regions. Its international visibility was aided by:

A strong Australian release that emphasized the country’s landscapes
A UK audience familiar with British wedding comedies
European markets willing to embrace farcical humor
Fans of Olivia Newton-John drawn by her extreme comic performance

The website also reflected steady traffic surges whenever the film:

Premiered at international festivals
Received new release dates in different countries
Launched on physical home media formats
Gained renewed visibility when the sequel, A Few Less Men, appeared in 2017

This multi-year footprint suggests that AFewBestMenTheMovie.com served as a long-term reference point rather than a temporary marketing page.

Cultural and Social Significance of the Film and Website

Despite mixed reviews, A Few Best Men occupies a distinctive cultural niche, and the website contributed to cementing that identity.

A Return to Broad Farce for Stephan Elliott

The director used the film to revisit the flamboyant, chaotic comedy style that defined his earlier success. The website conveyed this connection by emphasizing his creative pedigree.

Olivia Newton-John’s Unforgettable Performance

Her role as the mother of the bride—wild, reckless, and utterly uninhibited—became one of the film’s most discussed elements. The website highlighted her involvement, drawing in fans who wanted to see the beloved singer/actress in a new light.

British-Australian Cultural Humor

The film lampooned:

British reserve
Australian brashness
Political family dramatics
Class dynamics
Social expectations surrounding weddings

All of these themes were reflected subtly in the way the website presented its materials.

Part of a Global Trend of Wedding Chaos Comedies

The early 2010s were rich with films that used weddings as narrative catalysts. AFewBestMenTheMovie.com tapped into this trend and positioned the film within the established genre ecosystem.

The Film’s Legacy and Continued Interest

Even today, discussions of the film tend to highlight:

Its memorable set pieces
Its over-the-top comedic risks
Its bold performances
Its influence on the 2017 sequel

As a result, the website remains an artifact of interest for fans and film historians.

Goals and Marketing Strategy Reflected by the Website

AFewBestMenTheMovie.com served several specific functions:

Presenting an official, centralized source of film information
Offering press-ready materials for journalists and festival coordinators
Building excitement through trailers, posters, and actor profiles
Supporting international distributors who needed consistent branding
Providing audiences with release dates, runtime, and rating details
Establishing the film’s tone and identity through bright visuals and comedic language

The website succeeded by offering comprehensive content wrapped in an accessible and entertaining package.

Long-Term Legacy and Archival Importance

Although the domain is no longer an active promotional site, its archived form serves several long-term purposes:

It provides context for how mid-budget comedies were promoted before social media dominated film marketing.
It preserves international press reactions that may not exist elsewhere in consolidated form.
It documents cross-market rebranding, such as alternate titles.
It assists fans who continue to follow the careers of the film’s stars.
It offers historical value for researchers studying film publicity from the transitional digital era.

The website thus remains relevant not only for nostalgic fans but also for scholars of film distribution and online media history.

AFewBestMenTheMovie.com was a vibrant and effective companion to the comedy film it represented. Through press reviews, cast highlights, media assets, and international release information, the site encapsulated the film’s personality and provided a centralized resource for audiences around the world. Although no longer actively maintained, its archived pages continue to serve as a digital time capsule—a reminder of a unique comedy, a specific marketing era, and the evolving ways films build their public identities online.

AFewBestMenTheMovie.com