by Holly Russell

Created on: August 31, 2009

Drew Barrymore, born the 22nd of February 1975 has kept us entertained on and off the screen since she was 4 years old. Her history with alcohol, drugs, Playboy and numerous courthouse battles with her family have not diminished her acting ability, or our desire to see her on screen. Her off-centre smile is charming, and her intelligence obvious as she continues to produce a variety of movies in several different genres. The best movies she can claim are as follows.

ET The Extra Terrestrial 1982 - It was Spielbergs ET that launched a 7 year old Drew Barrymore to instant stardom. She was beguiling as Gertie the younger sister, and there was something in her performance that struck a chord with an entire nation. Her cute smile and pigtails won us over. While I do not think this was her strongest performance, this is about her best movies, and ET was an instant classic. We loved watching her innocence on screen and many of us found it hard to see her downward spiral over the next several years.

50 First Dates - This movie defines love. Drew Barrymore plays Lucy a victim of Goldfields syndrome, which means she has no short term memory. Every night while she sleeps her slate is wiped clean. This makes for a difficult and often funny relationship. While there are many moments that are goofy and corny, this movie outlines what true commitment really is.....to stand by someone each and every day no matter what. This message is desperately needed in our commitment phobic society, and was well presented by Barrymore and Sandler.

Ever After 1998 - This fairytale remake of the Cinderella story was very well done. Drew portrays Danielle the courtier and peasant very well and gave us a well-spoken performance that made the movie. She was witty, clever and compassionate, a brilliant combination. This movie was wholesome and funny and romantic at a time when so many movies are dark and depressing.

Charlie's Angels 2000 & Full Throttle in 2003 - Teamed up with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu Barrymore plays Dylan a crime fighting detective with limited believability. It doesn't matter because we love it. We all love to see good overcome evil and this almost comic book style set of movies shows that Barrymore is able to do more than the romantic comedy.

Wedding Singer 1998 - Paired with Adam Sandler for this zany but sweet movie, Drew Barrymore re-captured the sweetness we all loved in ET. Her "girl next door" role as Julia the waitress brought her back into our good graces after a very long string of so-so movies through the late 80's and early 90's. This movie is gave us a good laugh both at the awkward era of the 1980's, and at how foolish we can behave in the name of love.

Drew Barrymore is a gifted actress who is able to produce fantastic performances in a number of roles. I hope there are many more years of funny, poignant, and clever roles for the movie watching public to enjoy.

Learn more about this author, Holly Russell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.