We rate Britney Spears' big movie debut

THE ROLE Virginal high-school valedictorian Lucy Wagner, who sets off on a cross-country road trip with two estranged childhood pals (Taryn Manning, pictured at right, and Zöe Saldana) and one handsome stranger (Anson Mount, center)

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Medium. Britney’s character is required not only to be a poet — we see her penning the words to ”I’m Not a Girl (Not Yet a Woman)” — but also a convincing rocker, belting a karaoke rendition of ”I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.” No matter your feelings about Spears, you know that’s something of a stretch.

LEVEL OF SUCCESS 5 Spears may not prove to be Meryl Streep, but she holds together this patchwork quilt of teen-dream clichés with an adequate screen presence.

TASTY TIDBIT Despite plenty of pre-opening publicity, Crossroads grossed only $37 million domestically.

EW MOVIE GRADE B+ (Read the review)