Drew Barrmore

“We set out to make a movie for everyone, like the classic John Hughes/Amy Heckerling movies. We wanted it to have a timeless feel and we didn’t try to make the definitive, cutting-edge high-school movie with the latest language and the latest styles: we set out to make a fun picture that would be just as funny 10 years from now. And also one in a good spirit: Drew just radiates that kind of goodness and fun.”

Gosnell’s debut as a director was Home Alone 3, but prior to that he spent many years as an editor on films like Adventures in Babysitting, Mrs Doubtfire and Nine Months, which proved the ideal background for a comedy director. “You try and gather as many pieces, as much lightning in the bottle, as you can,” he says, “and you go into the cutting room and you assemble it in the most effective way. Obviously I’ve had a lot of experience with physical comedy, and the way you present that is really important in terms of when the audience laughs and how they laugh: I have a definite background in that and I was very comfortable with it.”

Gosnell’s past life as an editor also meant that he was able to get acclaimed writer/director Garry Marshall to appear as the crusty and eccentric owner of Josie’s newspaper. “That was huge,” he exclaims. “Garry did it as a complete favour to me and I’m so blessed and lucky that he did. I worked with Garry as an editor on Pretty Woman and we’ve stayed in touch since then. I wanted him to read the script just to get his input, but afterwards he said, ‘So do you want an actor?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’ve been trying to build up the courage to ask you!’”

One thing was definitely new for Gosnell, however: Never Been Kissed was the first time he had been in a situation where the star was also the producer of the film. But Barrymore made it easy for him to distinguish between the roles. “There’s a different dynamic,” says Gosnell. “She definitely wears different hats at different times of the day, but she did a really great job. She knows her audience, she has great opinions and we worked together really well.”

Barrymore founded Flower Films with producing partner Nancy Juvonen in 1995, but Never Been Kissed is the company’s first project to make it to the screen. “I love producing,” says Barrymore. “It’s exactly where I want to be at in my life and I love it on so many levels. It’s very different from the acting, and my tastes in material and characters are totally different. It’s very empowering and wonderful to have the opportunity to make so many decisions. But it’s also a democracy: it’s not just me. You have to get outside yourself a little bit and listen to what other people think.” That fitted in with Gosnell’s way of working. “I run a very open set,” he explains. “You hire creative people to be creative, so as much input as you can get is great. You know, if someone had an idea, we’d shoot that if we thought it was funny. It was really a kind of group effort.”

Barrymore always knew who was in charge, however. “You want to protect the studio and keep them happy and be on time and on budget so they only have to worry about if you’re making a great movie,” she says. “But sometimes you have to stick at certain things that you’re passionate about and that you instinctively believe are right.”

Ultimately, the producer/star was concerned with ensuring that the tone of Never Been Kissed didn’t veer too far away from the template laid down by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein’s script. “There are these raw, awkward moments in this movie where you’re laughing and, all of a sudden, you’re feeling guilty because you’re laughing,” she notes. “I liked that: I didn’t want to take everything too seriously and have it all be so heavy that we all feel sorry for ourselves. You have to have a good laugh.”