Is Drew Barrymore the Next Spielberg?

The actress-producer directs her first film—would it come out any different if she was a dude?

With flicks like Whip It, Jennifer's Body and Inglourious Basterds hitting the big screen, we're totally noticing a hot new trend of strong, kickass women invading H'wood.

Meanwhile, men are stuck playing dorky, wimpy Judd Apatowy dudes exploring their feelings. What inspired the gender role switcheroo?

"Tides change," Drew Barrymore told us at the premiere of her grrl power, roller derby movie, Whip It. "I think men and women are both equal and sexy and interesting. I never like pooh-poohing on one sex or the other. Let's celebrate both!"

Whip It is Drew's first foray behind the camera, but did anyone tell the romantic-comedy regular she should direct a chick flick instead? She sure has enough experience with the romantic genre.

"This is the project I wanted to direct," insisted Barry-babe. "It was incredibly challenging. You have to be superprepared or you're gonna be in a lot of trouble out there."

Did your godfather, Steven Spielberg, give you any directing tips?

"Yeah! He's a really great mentor to me, which has been awesome. He's here to support me tonight. I just can't believe it. I've had a lot of support along the way."

So, look, is there a difference between a male and a female director? We asked the Whip It cast just that...Check out the contrasting things they had to say on the gender-centric matter:

Is there a difference being directed by a woman as opposed to a man?
Ellen Page: "I don't think so. I've worked with a few women and a lot of guys. If the connection is there, it's really magical."

Zoe Bell: "I'm sure. I'm all for equality, but I'm not deluded enough to think that men and women are exactly the same, we're not. Quentin Tarantino [who directed Bell in Death Proof] is different than another male director, and Drew's different from another female director. There are attributes that everyone brings individually."

Alia Shawkat: "Somewhat. It's sad to say, producers put a lot more pressure on a female director...They're a little more on their backs, like 'What are you doing?' Whereas with men, they trust them a lot more, which is a sad state of affairs. I think once you see [Whip It], they'll realize that [women] are better."

Hey, some of our fave flicks were female-helmed—hello, Twilight! Not that we're gonna love New Moon any less with Chris Weitz behind the wheel instead of Catherine Hardwicke, but no one in T-town should rule out the womenfolk just cause of their sex.

And we can tell ya one huge difference between the sexes—there are a helluva lot more signatures from male directors than females on that Roman Polanski petition. Like, a lot more. What's that tell ya about the type of men working in H'wood today? Give us a gal with morals any day over scum defenders.