Britney at the Crossroads

Britney Spears (in the back seat with a hat) is off on a cross-country adventure in her first movie, Crossroads.

Many music stars have failed miserably when they've tried to make the jump to the big screen. Mariah Carey's Glitter was nothing shorof a punch line for movie critics.

But Britney's so confident in her acting career, she's already looking at future projects, including an appearance in the next Austin Powerssequel.

"I can't give anything away," she tells online reporters in a phone press conference, "But I will say it's very entertaining."

As for a possible role with boyfriend Justin Timberlake, that's certainly not out of the question. "I would love to remake Love Story," she says.

'Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman'

After a year ofunprecedentedsuccess, Crossroads is clearly the next big test for the 20-year-old superstar. Last fall, Spears became the first female artist to hit the No. 1 spot three times in a row with her first three albums.

But the young star withscintillatingdance moves is clearly longing to change. She followed up "I'm a Slave 4 U" with the ballad "Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," which she performed in a simple gown last month at the American Music Awards.

In Crossroads, Spears plays Lucy, who reunites with her childhood friends after graduating high school, and the group heads West to pursue their dreams. Lucy longs to reunite with herestrangedmom - played by Kim Cattrall.

"When I had to do the crying scene all the cameras were on and I'm like, 'OK, I gotta cry now,'" Spears says. "It was just very hard and it wasn't fun at all trying to imagine a little girl going through that."

You have to imagine Spears felt a little more at home when she and her lady co-stars (Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning) enter a karaoke contest with a hot version of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll."

Britney's 11-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, even makes an appearance, playing a young version of Lucy. "It was very, very cool," Spears says. "She is taking her friends to see it."

The Garlic Kiss

Spears isn't exactly new to acting. The world need not be reminded that she first appeared on The Mickey Mouse Club. Her recent appearance on Saturday Night Live reminded her of how much fun it can be to do comedy before an audience.

"When I'm onstage, I get that instantgratificationof the audience being there and with it being live and everything," she says.

Life on a movie set isn't exactlystaid, and it's going to require some adjustments for Britney and Justin. At early screenings, she made Justin turn his head when she kisses her leading man, played by Anson Mount.

Spears has some prettylucidmemories of her first love scene. For laughs, Mount stuffed his mouth with garlic, causing Britney to explode in laughter. "I didn't appreciate it," she says. "But boys will be boys!"