Here’s an interview Drew did for ELLE in which she talks about Whip It! and her Golden Globe.

Drew Barrymore’s exuberant coming-of-age roller-derby romp, Whip It, is as utterly likable as the actress herself. In honor of its DVD release last week, Barrymore talked to me about making her directorial debut, her Golden Globe win for Grey Gardens, and the inimitable Little Edie’s impact on her own free-spirited style.

—Erin Clements

What made you make the leap to directing?

Actually, I became obsessed with the idea at 7, but I wanted to be very patient about it. I wanted to be professionally far along in my life that I felt ready to take on the kind of discipline that it takes to be the type of director I wanted to be, which was a very, very detail-oriented presence for everything; every I dotted, every T crossed. Not every director does that and I also appreciate those people who are more relaxed about it, but for me, that’s what works. I found a really good story that inspired me and I worked to make it even more personal. I had to be able to really visualize it and have it be something that got me out of bed every day with total passion.