Does Drew Barrymore put on trainer wheels for the whip it movie?
DREW Barrymore chose a real balancing act for her directing debut. She does it on wheels, directing and acting alongside Juno star Ellen Page in Whip It – a rowdy tale of roller-derby. Barrymore, who had never put on skates before shooting the movie, spent a month alongside cast mates learning the ropes in a roller-derby boot camp. Her training as a director has been going on for years, since she began producing movies in the 1990s; her credits including her Charlie’s Angels adventures and her Adam Sandler romance, 50 First Dates. Once they acquired the rights to roller-derby player Shauna Cross’s book, Whip It, Barrymore and production partner Nancy Juvonen began casting about for a director. Before long, Barrymore realised that this was the one she had to direct herself. “I’ve been producing for 15 years and it’s all been preparing for the big test. I really care so much about what I do – and I love film-making so much. I love every detail and every aspect of it,” said Barrymore, 34,
