The original wild child. We're offering up a little space to Hollywood royalty: Drew Barrymore. Her mischievousness captured the attention of Steven Spielberg, landing her the role of Gertie in E.T The Extraterrestrial at just 6 years old. A year later she would be famously dancing at Studio 54. Little Drew became the poster child of divorcing your parents, her teenage career characterised by sultry roles and bad girl behaviour. A mainstay of 90s cinema and noughties romantic comedies, Drew has proved time and time again that she can do it all. And always with a wink.
Below, we pay tribute to the storied career of Drew Barrymore so far, sharing her best films for your viewing pleasure.
Charlie's Angels (2000)
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The latest remake of Charlie's Angels never stood a chance. Who could beat Dylan, Alex and Natalie? Icons from the outset. I was always a Dylan girl, although it's hard not be when you see her sporting platinum hair and a racy boilersuit. Honorable mentions include: the drive thru scene, being blast out the window of Chemosphere House, her final kung fu scene, and of course. The Chad. The Chad was great.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
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The role that catapulted a lispy little Drew to fame. Selected by her godfather Steven Spielberg, no less, Drew Barrymore snagged the role of Gertie and stole the hearts of audiences the world over. If you're looking for further cute tidbits, please look up the dress she wore to the 1983 Oscars.
Ever After (1998)
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You know the story. It's Cinderella but different. Actually, it's my favourite adaptation of the the Brothers Grimm tales. Barrymore is Danielle, a servant to her two stepsisters and stepmother, who stumbles across the Prince and must keep up the charade of being a princess herself. There are real life references; Sir Thomas More's Utopia gets a start and Leonardo Da Vinci weaves in and out of the plot. It also has one of the most memorable lines in film: “A bird may love a fish, signore, but where will they live?”
50 First Dates (2004)
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It's Groundhog Day but the movie's been Adam-Sandlerized. Sandler plays Henry Roth, a veterinarian living in Hawai'i who falls in love with a woman called Lucy at his local diner. They hit it off, but when Henry returns the next day, she blanks him completely. As it turns out, Lucy suffers from short term memory loss after an injury she sustained in a car accident. Henry must win her over again, every single day. Then he must win over her brother and protective father. Naturally Rob Schneider features as well.
Poison Ivy (1992)
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Our favourite Drew Barrymore era. Here she plays Ivy, a meddling 'nymphet' who attaches herself to her rich classmate Sylvie. As the film unravels and the plotline gets darker, Ivy seeps into Sylvie's life and tears her family apart. Of course, female desire is rarely this destructive and Sylvie's dad should be in jail. It was the role that cemented Barrymore as a seductress for the rest of the 90s.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
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Josie Grossie! Did you miss her? Me too. Drew Barrymore offers up the perfect sleepover film here as Josie Geller in Never Been Kissed. In retrospect, the whole teacher-student dynamic is kind of cringe, but the trauma of high school holds up. Aldys is the the undercover coolest, although we have to admit that Jessica Alba's outfits were truly iconic. Frosted lips and frosted tips, always.
Donnie Darko (2001)
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A cult classic. Although Drew Barrymore's role in Donnie Darko is smaller in comparison to the other characters, her presence helped get the film off the ground. Looking back now, the film features a strong lineup of actors; namely Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze and Jenna Malone.
Scream (1996)
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Barrymore may get killed off in the first 15 minutes of the film, but it's her blonde bob and cable-knit sweater that we recall when we think of Scream. The still of her screaming into the landline has spurred on thousands of memes, in fact it may just ben my favourite genre.
The Wedding Singer (1998)
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Back on the name game. I think it's time that we mention how Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were the golden couple of romantic comedies. We'll never not ship Julia Goolia and that curly haired freak. Alexis Arquette was also an icon.
Mad Love (1995)
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If you need persuading to cut a bixie, then this is the film to watch. Besides that, the plot doesn't offer up much sustenance. The real drawcard of Mad Love is the 90s style.
If you're settling in for non-stop TV time, take this list of the best documentaries - at least in our opinion. Otherwise, here are Baz Luhrmann's best films and Willem Dafoe's best too.
