There is an irony in the voiceover as Cher try’s to convince the viewer that she is a normal teenager but visually contradicts this – Her “normal” life computer selection of clothes. The song “Fashion Girl” is played in the background to parody the statement. Cher is presented as someone who has very little in her life to distress or vex her.
Cher then introduces her father, a litigator; “the scariest kind of lawyers”- he gets paid for arguing and even their “Maid Lucy is terrified of him”. There is a back shot of him- his faceless figure fills the frame, he needs to open the double doors at the top of the staircase to get through, this indicates his “presence” both in Cher’s life and for the viewer; He dominates the screen, indicating his position. There are visual jokes made by Heckerling as maid Lucy runs from him which is reinforces later in a dinner scene as she hesitantly places the food down before him.
The next shot begins an image of Cher looking after her father health which is reinforced in later scenes as she is always concerned about his diet and food. The film establishes very clearly here that Josh is a step brother, her father “hardly even married to his mother”, there is no blood relationship to Cher.
Cher is shown learning to drive; there are shots of her jeep on her own. Cher lists the cars attributes, and says the she hasn’t even got a license yet, after which a slight joke is made as she hits pot plant on the sidewalk. The long shot indicates the speed of the jeep, the exaggerated smoke, noise and sound suggests Cher’s recklessness, carelessness, showing that she believes she is in control despite evidence to the contrary. The shots of driving through Beverly Hills streets with the palm trees and houses all depict money, reinforcing that these aren’t just any kids in America. To Cher and Dionne Beverly Hills is the centre of the World – and therefore the World itself. When Cher picks up Dionne the viewer is told what they have in common; they both know “what it’s like to have people jealous of us”. Later on when Cher comes up to the stop sign, she pauses but does not stop, this shows that she likes to make her own rules up.
The next scene after Dionne gets into an argument with her boyfriend shows Cher walking down a path in a dominant and central position, in the background shots people are shown responding to her and making way. There is often a sense of space surrounding her, i.e. in the party scene later on in the film where it is crowded; she still stands out from the crowd.
In the debate scene as Cher begins to talk the camera pans members of the class. The girls putting on Makeup, and the boys using Mobile phones shows their lifestyle and values. The lack of interest in the actual debate is shown despite their enthusiastic applause for Cher at the end. This helps to establish her position in the class for the viewer; she is well received despite what she says or does. Afterwards Cher is seen authoritative and knowing; she is the one informing the teacher about a student. The image of her knowing what’s going on shows that she is not totally clueless.
The final scene of the opening sequence has once again Cher in the central position of the camera as Dionne enters from side of frame and joins her. The affluent lifestyle they live is shown by the they are using mobile phones to talk to each other despite being in earshot of each other.
