A new direction

If you think about it,its very close to me, Barrymore says. It seems pretty obvious in a way. I have a tumultuous relationship with my mother,so obviously that story had a deep emotional interest to meabout women who are empowered and can be athletic and capable and kick ass out on the track and be their own heroes,and I think finding your tribe is everything. I certainly found it with my company. Every aspect of this story including first love and rite of passage,and being able to rock out in the car with your best friend,these are all themes that are crucial to my life. I was able to tell my story, she says of the just-released Fox Searchlight film.

The evidence of her recent flowering of creativity literally climbs up the wall. Across one wall is a bulletin board,with every scene from Whip It posted on index cards. All the other walls are covered with images that inspire her: stills from the western Shane,John Travolta combing his hair in Saturday Night Fever,punk-rocker Marianne Faithful and rodeo riders.

She says,My whole life Ive been training to be a director. When I was six years old,I handed my godfather Steven Spielberg a script Id written,which was,ironically,a mother-daughter love story. Barrymores childhood was a humdinger back in the days before Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears made underage partying a tabloid staple. Raised by her mother,Jaid,a wannabe actress,Barrymore made her first commercial at 11 months and says she was supporting her family by the ripe old age of six,starring in Spielbergs mega-hit E.T.,an experience that was seminal in giving her a blueprint for what she wanted out of life.

Barrymore doesnt mention the dark days after E.T.but then again she published her autobiography at 14,Little Girl Lost,about her relationship with her mother,her pre-adolescent clubbing,her booze and cocaine abuse,and the resulting rehab by the time she was 13. At 19,she rediscovered her tribe when she met the love of my life,business partner Juvonen,a sociology major moonlighting as an assistant to musician Clarence Clemons,and the duo launched Flower Films.

While they had produced a number of films together,Juvonen was adamant about not letting Barrymore direct until she was sure the actress was ready. Im the harshest,because I care and love her and dont have any agenda other than her success, Juvonen says.

Whip It is based on the novel by former skater Shauna Cross,and Barrymore spent close to a year holed up with Cross,finessing the authors original script,making the material more personal. She came prepared for the 10-week shoot with a script in which every page was accompanied by the image she intended to create.

Drew established an environment on set that felt like none other Ive ever been on, Ellen Page says. Barrymore costars in the film as Derby Girl Smashley Simpson. She has this energy no matter what time it was. We would be on skates for 12-hour days,and Drew gave her energy to everybody all the time.

Barrymore admits shes always been a workaholic. I dont subscribe to the wishing, she says. I subscribe to the willing. Thats why Im taking a break this fall. Im very excited. Im just dying to get to the finish line.