IMDb gives it a woeful 3.6 out of ten, Rotten Tomatoes awards it a 15 per cent on the tomatometer, and critics dismiss it as “a clichéd and silly pop star vanity project”. But we say no! We at heat declare Crossroads to be one of the single greatest things to come out of the early noughties. The teen romcom follows former best friends Lucy, Kit and Mimi – along with a token hot guy they don’t really know called Ben – as they embark on a road trip to LA, each with their own life-changing mission. As the 2002 cinematic masterpiece – which grossed more than $60 million worldwide – celebrates its 20th anniversary, we revisit it to prove once and for all that Crossroads was not only Britney Spears’ greatest triumph, but also deserves worldwide redemption. Or, at the very least, we can all agree it’s better than Mariah Carey’s Glitter, right?
It’s packed with A-listers
With Britney at the helm, stealing all the attention, it’s easy to forget what an A-list cast this production featured. Brit’s Crossroads co-stars include Anson Mount as her love interest, Justin Long as her lab partner, Zoe Saldana as her best friend Kit, Taryn Manning from Orange Is The New Black as Mimi, and Brit’s little sis Jamie Lynn Spears as her younger self. You’ve even got a 13-year-old future Oscar-winner Brie Larson as a featured extra! Ghostbusters megastar Dan Aykroyd played Lucy’s overbearing but well-meaning dad, while Sex And The City’s Kim Cattrall was her rejecting mum.
It was later revealed how Brit cast the superstar herself, saying, “I’m a really big fan of Sex And The City; I love that show. And I needed someone to play my mom. A lot of people say she resembles me a little bit. We asked her to do it, and she was like, ‘Sure!’”
Kim later added, “I thought, ‘Hey, if you’re gonna play somebody’s mom, why not play hers?’” There were even megastars behind the scenes of Crossroads. Grey’s Anatomy’s Shonda Rhimes wrote the script after Britney approached her with the idea.
The singer later explained, “I told [Shonda] what I wanted the movie to be about and she elaborated on it.” I
t also had some surprisingly starry supporters, including, ahem, Robert De Niro, who actually convinced his friend Anson to join the cast. The now- 48-year-old Star Trek: Discovery actor revealed how Robert had encouraged him to take the part, calling Britney a “sweet girl” and even running lines with him. Is it wrong that we really hope they rehearsed the snogging scenes together?
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Britney could act
OK, we will concede she was pretty wooden in How I Met Your Mother, but back in 2002, the newly minted pop star was genuinely brilliant in her role as Lucy, a shy, nerdy kid looking for the mum who abandoned her at the age of three. Not only was she a solid lead, but co-stars rushed to praise the then-20 year old for her work ethic and dedication.
Dan Aykroyd gushed, “She’s got the essence of greatness. She can really act.”
Justin Long complimented, “She could not have been more down to earth. She’s the sweetest girl. After ten minutes, I forgot she was a big pop star.”
Kim Cattrall described Britney as, “So dynamic and wonderful,” adding, “It takes a lot of courage because she could just sit back and say, ‘Hey, I’m a music person, and that’s what I do.’ But she’s challenging it, and that’s wonderful.”
Take a scroll: artists who started their careers on TV talent shows
artists who started their careers on TV talent shows slider
1 of 16Beyoncé
She's one of the world's biggest superstars but Beyonce first found fame on TV show Star Search back in 1993. Beyonce enjoyed massive success alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in girl band Destiny's Child but made a name for herself with her massive solo singles.
2 of 16One Direction
They are one of the biggest bands in the world but we wouldn't have One Direction if it wasn't thanks to The X Factor. Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam and Zayn all auditioned for the show as solo artists but were later put together in a group. Despite finishing third in 2010, the band went on to achieve massive success. They went on to have five albums, four world tours and sold millions of records with hits such as 'Best Song Ever' and 'What Makes You Beautiful'. After Zayn Malik announced his departure, the band started their hiatus in January 2016 and have all gone on to release solo material.
3 of 16Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were first created when they appeared on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. With Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle all winning a place in the band, the group went on to achieve their debut number one with the track 'Sound Of The Underground'. Girls Aloud went on to achieve massive success in the UK and scored a record 20 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK Charts. In 2013 the band announced their split after their final UK tour.
4 of 16Little Mix
Little Mix made history in 2011 when they became the first ever band to win The X Factor. Perrie, Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne released the track 'Cannonball' as their winners' single before going on to have hits such as 'Wings', 'No More Sad Songs' and 'Power'.After a number of massive sell-out tours, the band are currently working on their fifth studio album and have just finished their 'Summer Hits Tour' in the UK.
5 of 16Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen enjoyed massive success with her hit single 'Call Me Maybe' in 2012 but before that she came third on Canadian Idol. After getting her break with 'Call Me Maybe', Carly went on to have hits such as 'I Really Like You' and 'Run Away With Me'.
6 of 16Britney Spears
Britney appeared on Star Search at the age of just 11!She went on to release her first two albums in 1999 and 2000 which turned out to be international successes. After a hiatus away from music due to personal issues, Britney returned with a bang with hits such as 'Womanizer', 'Piece Of Me' and 'If You Seek Amy'. Britney now has a Las Vegas residency for her 'Piece Of Me' show Planet Hollywood.
7 of 16Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert shot to fame when he finished in second place on American Idol back in 2009. The singer went on to release his debut album 'For You Entertainment' and has since sold over 5 million records to date. In the past few years Adam has been touring as the lead vocalist with rock band Queen.
8 of 16Fifth Harmony
American girl band Fifth Harmony started their success when they finished third on The X Factor USA back in 2012. The band signed to Syco Records and enjoyed a number of hits both in the UK and USA including 'Work From Home' and 'Worth It'. In 2017 Camilla Cabello announced she had left the band to focus on her solo caree, and in March 2018 the group revealed they were going on a hiatus.
9 of 16Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera appeared on Star Search as a youngster back in 1990. It wasn't until 1999 when the singer really made waves in the music industry with hits including 'Genie In The Bottle' and 'What A Girl Wants'. Throughout the noughties Christina had some massive hits such as 'Dirrty', 'Beautiful' and 'Hurt' and later went on to star in a number of movies such as Burlesque. The singer now has five Grammy Awards, has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and appears on The Voice as a mentor.
10 of 16Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks became American Idol's youngest ever winner when she won over competition at the age of just 17 in 2006. The singer has since enjoyed massive success with her hits including 'Tattoo', 'Battlefield' and her 'No Air' debut with Chris Brown.
11 of 16Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson shot to fame in 2002 when she became the first winner of American Idol. Kelly has now released seven albums to date including the likes of 'Breakaway', 'Stronger' and her 2015 album 'Piece By Piece'.
12 of 16Jennifer Hudson
Despite her amazing success, Jennifer unbelievably only finished 7th on American Idol back in 2004. She's since went on to appear in hit movie Dreamgirls, released three studio albums and became a mentor on TV show The Voice UK.
13 of 16Justin Timberlake
Mr Timberlake appeared on TV show Star Search in 1992 singing a country song in his audition.He's come a long way since then! In the late 1990s Justin became one of the lead vocalists in boyband NSYNC.He then went solo and achieved massive success with hits such as 'Cry Me A River', 'Rock Your Body' and 'Sexy Back'. In 2016 Justin voiced a character for hit film Trolls and is set to return for the sequel in 2021. The singer also released his amazing new music in early 2018.
14 of 16Nicole Scherzinger
She enjoyed massive success in The Pussycat Dolls but before that Nicole Scherzinger appeared on Popstars in 2001. It was her time in girl band The Pussycat Dolls which really started her success. The band became one of the world's biggest selling girl bands with hits such as 'Don't Cha' and 'Jai Ho'. Nicole later left the band and has enjoyed a solo career. The singer is also a judge on The X Factor, although rumours are suggesting she won't be returning for the 2018 series.
15 of 16Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis won a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006. Leona went on to have five successful albums and has completed three tours to date. In 2016 Leona made her Broadway debut as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.
16 of 16Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle first shot to fame when she appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. After shocking audiences and the judging panel with her incredible rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream', Susan went on to finish in second place behind Diversity. This was just the start for the Scottish singer as she went on to achieve massive success, selling millions of records worldwide.
Taryn also praised the singer, recently revealing, “We had an amazing time on Crossroads. We spent months in the car that we took ‘cross country’, sharing stories, joking, laughing – and had a friendship for years, especially while filming… Nothing but love for Brit!”
The pop legend also came up with the idea for the film herself, later explaining, “It was my little project. When you do a movie, I think you have to be really passionate about it. I was having a lot of offers, but this is something my heart was into.”
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It’s a totally brilliant story
Dodgeball star Justin described the plot as, “Like a road-trip buddy movie for girls.” While Britney added that it was a “journey that the three of us best friends take, finding ourselves and what we want out of life and getting our friendship back. Friends are all you have at the end of the day”.
But the film wasn’t just about reconnecting with old BFFs – or, indeed, singing Shania Twain at the top of your lungs on the open road – it dealt with some seriously dark subjects, too. During their road trip, the group explore everything from teen pregnancy, fat shaming, adoption, date rape, miscarriage, parental abandonment and abuse. But it’s the moments of light relief that really make the movie shine – the scene where Lucy performs in a bar with her mates, and another when she tries to lose her V-plates with her geeky lab partner. Then there’s the brilliant drunk night with her gal pals in a hotel room – not to mention the following day’s hangover. Oh, and if you needed any more persuading, we have this movie to thank for Britney’s epic banger I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman, which, yes, Britney does perform in full, along with a bunch of other hits. So, 20 years later, we simply have one request for Brit the thesp: Gimme More.
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