Lohan is embarking on a number of more serious roles

Dina Lohan said it was a "positive" step for her daughter, who was scolded by a film studio boss earlier this year for "unprofessional" conduct.

"She's been attending some meetings and it's going to be a slow process," she told People magazine.

Lohan, 20, is best known for roles in children's movies such as Mean Girls, The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday.

The actress's party-girl image is frequently a focus for the tabloid press, and she is regularly photographed leaving nightclubs.

'Heavy partying'

"As a parent, you tell them what you can tell them, but she's 20 and I'm not going to say: 'Stay home and don't go out'," her mother told a Los Angeles radio station.

"I'm there for support, and I'll obviously give her my opinion, but she's fine. She's very smart."

In July, Morgan Creek Productions chief executive James G Robinson sent a letter to Lohan rebuking her for arriving late on set for the film Georgia Rule.

"You have acted like a spoiled child, alienated many of your co-workers and endangered the quality of this picture," he was quoted as saying in the letter.

He is also alleged to have accused the star of blaming her absence on heat exhaustion when he claims it was caused by "all-night heavy partying".

Lohan's mother said Mr Robinson was "way out of line" and insisted her daughter's claims were genuine.