BETTER MAN
THE
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AUSTRALIAN
ROAD TRIP MOVIE
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IN CINEMAS
SPRING 2025
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THE PLOT
Broke, lost, angry and alone, Damien Gooding has but one outlet: his imagination. Determined to finally 'make it', the indie filmmaker pitches his latest creation to anyone that will listen, a big-budget action blockbuster titled Desert Thief Down. There's just two catches:
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He's a nobody.
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He's a nobody.
But when friend and studio boss Bobby Berman [Anthony Brandon Wong - The Family Law, The Matrix: Reloaded/Revolutions] offers Damien the chance of a lifetime to pitch his Desert Thieves to film industry heavyweights, Gooding's lofty dreams start to look like reality.
But there's a snag: Damien needs to have an A-List actor already attached. With just seven days to find a Hugh Jackman, a Tom Hardy or a Jason Momoa; Damien is forced to coerce his estranged father Dallas [Andy McPhee - Wentworth, Sons of Anarchy] into an outback road trip to find an elusive actor under the guise of making amends.
Produced by Freeway One Entertainment, and with support from Pauline Chan [33 Postcards], Benita Collings [Janet King, Play School] and Emm Wiseman [Winchester, Celeste], The Better Man is a funny, heartwarming tale of love, courage, the harsh realities of showbiz and the complications that often lie in being a father - and a son.
The Long Drive for Drought is an annual classic Landcruiser road trip, bringing much needed attention to drought stricken Aussie farmers. Since its 2019 inception the Drive has raised $550 000! All proceeds going to the Farm Angels.
The Farm Angels works with struggling Aussie farmers in times of financial, emotional and climate despair. Their mission is to stand alongside, provide relief, resources and hope - empowering them to thrive and overcome challenges.
Family owned for fifty years, Hendra Motors is an independent mechanical workshop and service station run by owner Ray Saggal. The team offers excellent workmanship, customer experience and old-school driveway service.
40 series enthusiast and owner Paul Read runs this Classic Landcruiser Specialist with long time business partner, Richard Bowditch. The shop offers restorations, a full workshop and parts new & used.
..keeping the old Cruisers alive..
A unique family-friendly channel created by Jayson Fox, the 40 Channel is dedicated to the restoration, modification and fabrication of the mighty 40 series Landcruiser. His current build is an FJ45 troopy sporting a Barra conversion.
Owned and operated by the McKinnon family on the Gold Coast Hinterland, M.C. supplies custom 40 series Landcruiser conversions and components. McKinnon's has paved the way for 80 series chassis conversions in Australia.
Founder Brian 'Woody' Swearingen was on the internet before most of us knew what it was. Brimming with world-class builds and long-forgotten technical knowledge, IH8MUD remains the world's largest Landcruiser forum.
THE SHORT
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THE GALLERY
THE SHOOT
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As an unknown kid from the country in the uncertain world of entertainment, the seeds of The Better Man lie in creator Daniel Green's own challenges to make a successful career as a commercial artist.
Armed with only a handful of indie credits, some lifelong film friends, a finely tuned script and one dune beige 1970 Landcruiser ute, The Better Man team set about bringing the story off the page and into living colour.
Five weeks of sunshine ensured every frame was captured in glorious 4K; from the heart of glitzy Sydney to the golden fields of the Western Plains and the red-iron dust of the Australian outback.
There were airplanes, drones, quads, trucks, cars and trailers.
Mosquito and kangaroo plagues.
Breakdowns and break-ups.
Subzero temps at night and the searing heat of day.
And scores of artforms channelled into a single vision:
to create the loftiest story
we could muster.
It takes a village.
The Better Man is deeply indebted to the Landcruiser and off-road community, especially the 40 series community. Please take the time to support our fellow enthusiasts.
We also acknowledge the many businesses that have helped along the way, providing shooting locations, guidance, accommodation and much, much more. Please seek them out for their services!
The Long Drive for Drought is an annual classic Landcruiser road trip, bringing much needed attention to drought stricken Aussie farmers. Since its 2019 inception the Drive has raised $550 000! All proceeds going to the Farm Angels.
The Farm Angels works with struggling Aussie farmers in times of financial, emotional and climate despair. Their mission is to stand alongside, provide relief, resources and hope - empowering them to thrive and overcome challenges.
Family owned for fifty years, Hendra Motors is an independent mechanical workshop and service station run by owner Ray Saggal. The team offers excellent workmanship, customer experience and old-school driveway service.
Established on the banks of the Darling River in 1857 with a million head of sheep, Kallara Station was one of the largest sheep runs in regional NSW. Sadly, flooding has closed the station for accommodation until Easter 2025.
The Edmund Rice Retreat Centre in Mulgoa, NSW, is a conference a function room facility in western Sydney. Constructed entirely of sandstone by the Cox family in the 1920's, the quiet, picturesque setting is a filmmakers dream.
Kinesis Physiotherapy is a family owned and operated physiotherapy clinic with centres in Sydney's Marrickville and Darlinghurst. With expert knowledge and the human touch, Kinesis remains their loyal clientele's best kept secret!
40 series enthusiast and owner Paul Read runs this Classic Landcruiser Specialist with long time business partner, Richard Bowditch. The shop offers restorations, a full workshop and parts new & used.
..keeping the old Cruisers alive..
A unique family-friendly channel created by Jayson Fox, the 40 Channel is dedicated to the restoration, modification and fabrication of the mighty 40 series Landcruiser. His current build is an FJ45 troopy sporting a Barra conversion.
Owned and operated by the McKinnon family on the Gold Coast Hinterland, M.C. supplies custom 40 series Landcruiser conversions and components. Billy McKinnon has paved the way for 80 series chassis conversions in Australia.
Founder Brian 'Woody' Swearingen was on the internet before most of us knew what it was. Brimming with world-class builds and long-forgotten technical knowledge, IH8MUD remains the world's largest Landcruiser forum.
Bikram Yoga consists of twenty-six set postures and two breathing exercises in a heated room designed to provide a challenging, therapeutic and unique yoga experience. Bikram Yoga Darlinghurst excels at delivering this life-affirming practice.
Founded in 2010 by Matt Jedruszek, the Perfect Group has grown to become a tier one demolition contractor, labour hire supplier, remediation contractor and concrete care providor. They Get It Done.
Rising Sun is a communal D-I-Y motorcycle
workshop and award winning restaurant located in Newtown, NSW. They have the space, the tools, the hoists, the community and the expertise! When you're done wrenching, get done feasting!
Urban Winery is in The Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, Sydney. It boasts a full functional open winery, a cellar door & wine bar and event space. Enjoy the very best of NSW wine, including their very own A.Retief wines hand-crafted on site.
THE HISTORY
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Born and raised in steamy Far North Queensland, The Better Man creator Daniel Green's off road apprenticeship started at the age of nine in the back of a 1979 BJ40 Landcruiser. Piloted by his Dad, the little beige beast rattled its way from Gordonvale to Mt. Mulligan and beyond. But short wheelbase Landcruisers aren't known for their space, so Dad's 40 gave way to an ex-army Series III Land Rover. A home-brewed Isuzu diesel conversion powered the Rover across countless Cape York trails: Weipa, Arakun, The Wenlock, Coen, The Archer River and many, many more.
When Daniel's own off-road vehicle journey began in 1999, he knew it was one marque and one marque only: Toyota Landcruiser. First up was a one-owner Cardinal Red 1985 RJ70. The little 22R took him and his mates down many of the same trails from his youth. Soon after the lure of the ladies pulled him into something smoother: a mint, one-owner 1964 EH in Mallacoota Grey. This foray into bitumenised transport remained his daily driver through the ground-up restoration of a 1980 BJ40. Eight months of nights and weekends saw the rusty 464 hard top evolve into a clean, forest-green, rag-top off-road machine. With a head full of dreams and itching to see more of the big wide world, Daniel moved to the biggest big smoke he could think of: Brisbane. But the freezing SEQ winters were a touch much for the FNQ'er and so after three years the green 40 gave way to a 1984 HJ47 set up for touring. Unfortunately this had to be sold soon after to pay for Daniel's Advanced Diploma in Film, TV and Theatre Acting at The Actor's Workshop. As soon as he could though, Daniel was back in a Landcruiser - this time importing a black low-mileage JDM 1988 BJ74.
But the 40 series itch never leaves us. Soon Daniel was scouring the internet for what would be one of the defining vehicles of the next decade of his life: an early FJ45. Located in Mt. Mee was a cadet blue 1970 model that he just had to have. $500 and a hand shake saw Daniel take ownership and over the next year the busted old ute inched towards roadworthiness. It was during this time that the seeds of The Better Man story began to sprout and so Daniel began putting pen to paper. When the original F145 suffered a big-end failure, Daniel V8 swapped his rust-ridden ride. This was in the days that pre-date the nostalgia craze. Improvements to the 45 continued.
In September 2016 Daniel sold the 70 series, took The Better Man script, his life savings and the fifty-year old FJ45 - and hit the A1 bound for Sydney. He just had to see what fate the film industry had in store for him. And thus began the multi-year process of making the world's first 40 series Landcruiser feature film.
Subtle mods continued during pre-production: a dual-circuit brake upgrade, a brake booster [imagine!] and new suspension sponsored by Terrain Tamer. As production drew close, Daniel took the 45 on the the ultimate road test: a location scout that covered 3000+km in seven days. 110kmh in a 50 year-old V8 FJ45 with 4.11's and a four speed nearly deafened the poor man but it was this test that proved the car was up to the rigours of filming.
As a hero car, Dan's FJ45 performed flawlessly throughout the shoot until Louth where, unfortunately, the engine was dusted as well as sustaining panel damage from a wayward kangaroo [the local bar fly at Shindy's Inn informed us it was the thickest roo plague in living memory]. The 45 was limped 900km home to Sydney, and with post-production the main focus, the 45 was parked. Eventually a Holden EFI 5.0L and H55F replaced the earlier carbed V8, along with disc front, 80 booster, BJ42 handbrake rear axle and 60 steer. The exterior remained unmodified aside from rust repairs and patch painting. In 2023, with The Better Man post-production needing funds, it was with mixed emotions that Daniel sold the ute to continue driving the film towards the finish line.
He now drives a 2008 GRJ120 Prado and enjoys air-conditioning, the ability to make phone calls and conversations above 40kmh. Rumour has it though that Daniel is in possession of the first piece of his next 40 series project. But that's just a rumour.
He was last seen in the Snowy Mountains region driving a 1958 FJ25..
