Studies show that language use in the state of California is under change that has been present in the past sixty years. This process—influenced by the state’s role in the media, immigration, and cultural trends—is reflected in the lexicon, and in the realization of the round back vowels and lax front vowels in particular. The study elaborates on these features and how the California Vowel Shift—the alteration of the aforementioned vowels—came into existence. With the help of three movies set in California, the study also displays how these distinctive qualities are slowly resulting in the emergence of a new dialect on the Pacific Coast.