‘Crossroads’ director talks about the sex scene he and Britney Spears fought over

In the early 2000s, Britney Spears decided to abandon the Mickey Mouse Club image once and for all. All roads led to Crossroads2002 coming-of-age drama written beforeGray’s Anatomy Shonda Rhimes. The film, which coincided with the release of the pop princess’s single “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”, was intended to introduce audiences to a more mature star – and the effort was not without its hurdles.

“We definitely had to fight for some things,” director Tamra Davis recalls to EW more than two decades after the film’s release. This included Spears’ PG-13 sex scene with a love interest played by Anson Mount, when that was one of the reasons Spears wanted to do the film in the first place: to get rid of her girl-next-door image among aggressive sexist headlines about her purity.

“She wanted to challenge this image of the perpetually virginal girl,” Davis explains. She also adds that the scene is tastefully done. “The kid won’t understand what the hell is going on!” – the director jokes. “It was a fight and I’m glad we won.”

In honor of Spears’ memoirs The woman in me (released October 24), Crossroads returns to theaters October 23 and 25. In her first feature film role, Spears plays Lucy, a high school graduate who goes on a cross-country road trip with her childhood friends, popular girl Keith (Zoe Saldana) and a pregnant woman. Mimi (Taryn Manning) to reunite with her estranged mother (Kim Cattrall). Along with Mimi’s enigmatic and energetic pal Ben (Mount) and his ’73 Buick convertible, the girls rediscover their friendship and find themselves on the road.

Below, Davis looks back at the cult classic and its memorable musical moments (hello, NSYNC sing-alongs), talks about a potential sequel (“Shonda had an idea”), and provides a promising update on the film’s streaming fate.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I watched the movie again and felt like a warm blanket of nostalgia was wrapped around me. What do you remember from your first meeting with Britney?

TAMRA DAVIS: I had the same feeling. I had to do all the color grading (for the re-release) and I was also touched by how nostalgic it was. When I first met her, I initially said I didn’t know if I wanted to do this movie. And then my producer Anne Carley said, “Would you please just meet Britney?” So I spent the day with her and really fell in love with her. I thought she really wanted to do something different. I saw that she was in control of who Britney was. I was like, hey she runs it all. And she said she really wanted to do what it takes to make a movie – the rehearsals, the commitments, stop all the Britney craziness and just be part of the ensemble of this cast. It was like jumping into a fast car.

This happened at the peak of the popularity of Britney and Justin Timberlake. How did this NSYNC sing-along scene come about? Was this already in the script?

I know it was right in the middle between the two of them and they really were the cutest couple. Sometimes I would knock on her hotel room door in the morning and say, “Okay, Britney, it’s time to go,” and Justin would be there. This was in the midst of the “Is Britney a Virgin?” I wasn’t even going to ask! Even waking her up in her hotel room, I thought: whatever happens in your personal life is private. (Editor’s note: This interview was conducted before the publication of excerpts from Spears’ memoir, in which she reveals she had an abortion while dating Timberlake..)

The scene (NSYNC) reflected what was happening in the music scene at the time. It was a mixture of what (Ben) wanted to listen to – Nirvana and alternative grunge – and what the girls wanted to listen to – NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and boy bands. We liked this radio contrast. I don’t know if that was specifically in the script. At the last minute I thought, we didn’t know if we’d have the rights because it was a giant song.

Were Kim Cattrall and Dan Aykroyd the best candidates to play Britney’s on-screen parents?

Yeah we were all obsessed Sex and the City. This was a game changer for all of us girls. Britney really wanted Kim Cattrall. She doesn’t really do much, so it was great that she agreed to do it. It was brave of her because it’s quite a dark thing. It wasn’t love. It was like you had just rejected your daughter. It’s not always nice when you come back to find your mom and wish she was going to hug you. Dan was also fantastic, warm and fatherly. I liked what it represented and also that the film was really about trying to break that control.

And then there’s Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning, both early in their careers. What was his dynamic with Britney like?

The actors in the film were my sister Kim Davis and Justin Baddeley. They’re up for an Emmy for Daisy Jones and the six. They are really good at recruiting young talent. The chemistry between the three of them was fantastic. I wanted to surround Britney with really talented (and) people her age where she could be part of this ensemble and not be expected to promote the film. When I first had her, she was just coming back from giant tours where she had hosted where everyone said yes to you. I think it was really liberating for her to just be part of the group and blend in with it.

You’ve expressed interest in a sequel if the original team returns. Have you contacted any of them to discuss?

I’m currently working with Van Toffler, who was a producer on this project, and he (mentioned it). I think he talked to Britney and her management about it. Britney, I don’t think she really wants to act that bad, but I know Anne talked to Shonda about something and Shonda had an idea, so who knows if it will come to fruition. But if it does happen, fingers crossed that Shonda is involved because she’s so brilliant. In her first feature film, you could see what an incredible voice she has and her understanding of female characters. We were all the girls behind the camera telling this story about the girls in front of the camera. It was a very important voice at that time.

Do you have any news on the movie’s streaming status? You mentioned some problems with rights tracking.

I have an update. I’ve been trying forever. I called MTV, I called Paramount, I called my agents. I just saw it – I forget how many years ago – at the London Film Festival and it was crazy. The theater was crowded. People were singing along and I thought: This film is really important (and) needs to be accessible. And then a month ago I got a call: “Hey, they’re doing a mix of colors. They need you to be there to approve it.” Sony called me because Britney called and they called me back because she wanted it to help get her book out. One phone call from Britney and he’s available! I think that’s what they’re going to be working on now, getting a streaming deal. I’m sure we will do this. They are currently considering proposals.

The film is considered a cult classic, but was panned by critics at the time of its release. What do you think about the change?

(The reviews) made me so angry. What right did these dudes have to criticize this movie? It wasn’t for you; it was for girls, by girls, about girls. Just stay away from our dialogue (and) leave our bedroom – you are not allowed there. If you don’t have anything nice to say about girl culture and what girls reveal, this is not for you. I don’t comment Fast and furious like this. This put us more in the bedroom. This forced us to lock the doors. I wanted to make a movie that would please Britney, my producers and Shonda. At least I know that we made the film we intended. My whole career was like this: I was scolded for what I did Billy Madison (And) half-baked. This is already a classic. I am excited (Crossroads) comes back to show what we did at other times. We are in a different part of our zeitgeist.

You said you had trouble communicating with Britney during her conservatorship because her team often blocked messages. Did you talk to her after it was terminated?

Me not. We communicate through (other) people, so she knows how much I love and support her. I’m also grateful that since she doesn’t talk to me, she trusts me to speak for the film. I can’t wait to read her book to understand what her experience was like. I just wish her all the best.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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