Foil

Character Role Analysis

Cady and Regina

At the start of the movie, Cady and Regina are foils because of their differences. Cady is kind and down to earth. Regina is mean and superficial. When Regina first meets Cady, she reacts to her like she's an alien. In fact, later on, she directly compares Cady to an alien because she can't name the band on the radio. Cady's levelheadedness only reinforces Regina's self-absorption.

As the story progresses, Cady becomes more and more like Regina until they're exactly alike. As Regina's star pupil, Cady's transformation into a fully Plastic teen queen once again reinforces Regina's pettiness and cruelty: in part because Cady turns into a self-obsessed manipulator that mirrors Regina, and in part because as soon as Cady becomes as popular as Regina, Regina tries to frame her for the Burn Book.