Back to the Future (1985)

Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean “time machine” invented by slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love – so he can get back to the future.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Domestic?)

  • “Innocent Hero”  – Marty McFly
  • “Sudden Event” – while fleeing from terrorists, he sends himself back to 1955. Oops…
  • “Test of Survival” – in this case, literal. His very life is at stake because he prevented his parents from meeting. If he doesn’t fix it, he dies immediately.

Really fabulously done movie. A classic that can be watched over and over again. It is meticulously well-structured, fast-paced, every detail appears for a reason, and all the loose ends are tied by the end. The emotional tension keeps growing to the very end – you are on the edge of your seat and keep pushing it – until the absolutely last moment, and even then you won’t be off the hook just yet.

At the same time, the concepts are simple and crystal-clear, with more subtle elements rubbed in your face two or three times. “Look at the clock. Do you see it’s broken? Yes? Sure? Look again, just to be sure! It’s important!).

Brilliant.

SPOILER ALERT – The Beat Sheet / Time Table

  • Opening Image
    • (0:00) A bunch of clocks of all kinds. Intricate mechanisms set to timer that do all sorts of household chores, except that it doesn’t quite work the way it was intended. A bit crazy. It’s all about time and technology.
  • Theme Stated
    • (8:11) “No McFly has done anything in Hill Valley” – “Well, the history is gonna change!”
    • (9:32) “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything”
  • Set-up
    • (02:11) On TV: plutonium is stolen by a Libyan terrorist group. A few seconds later a box with radiation sign is shown under the table. Uh-oh…
    • (03:10) Marty McFly – a high school kid riding a skateboard and crazy about loud electric guitars. Amplifier incident.
    • (04:56) Doc – call on the phone, sounds a bit crazy and obsessed.
    • (06:07) Marty: “I’m late for school!” – reckless but supercool skateboarding show – we LOVE this kid!
    • (07:08) Jennifer – Marty’s girlfriend
    • (07:22) School principal and Marty
    • (08:15) Marty auditions with his band, plays very good, but is not understood
    • (09:47) “I just don’t think I can take that kind of rejection” – becomes another sub-theme
    • (10:45) Intro Clock tower (rub it in – so we take notice)
    • (11:37) “I love you” sign on the “Save the clock tower” flyer
    • (12:17) Car reck, George McFly (Marty’s father) being pushed around by Biff. Marty is ashamed of his father.
    • (14:51) McFly family: mother, brother and sister of Marty, all are kinda losers.
    • (16:25) Mother tells how she met her husband.
    • (18:39) Einstein the dog
  • Catalyst
    • (18:50) Doc reveals the time machine
  • Debate
    • (20:27) The time travel experiment with the dog
    • Doc shows Marty how the machine works, sets the timer for Nov 5, 1955
    • (26:50) Machine runs on plutonium to generate 1.25 GW of electricity
  • Break into Two
    • (29:08) The Libyans catch up with Doc and shoot him. Marty flees in the time machine to 1955 (at 31:44)
    • (33:25) Marty is confused for an alien and is being shot at (what an irony!) by the farmer, so he has to flee again
    • (34:15) Marty starting to realize he’s indeed in 1955
  • B Story
    • Marty and his parents (starts with his dad at 39:00)
  • Fun and Games
    • (~35:00) Marty goes around Hill Valley, looks around, confirms through a newspaper that he’s indeed in 1955, notices the tower clock is working. He’s still in denial.
    • (37:07) Marty is searching for Doc in the phone book
    • (39:00) Marty meets his young dad – B Story begins
    • (40:32) The black guy (future mayor) gives George a lecture on “standing up for yourself”. B Story’s theme.
    • (41:54) George is watching over Lorraine (Marty’s future mother)
    • (42:17) Car hits Marty – instead of George
    • (44:23) Reveal of how his mother really relates to boys (in contrast to what she’ll say 30 years later)
    • (46:29) TV at family dinner (brad new program that Marty has seen on reruns)
    • (48:00) Lorraine’s dad comments about her future kid. Marty leaves.
  • Midpoint
    • (48:20) (back to A Story) Marty arrives at Doc’s place, trying to convince him he’s from the future.
    • (52:00) Doc finally believes Marty and sees the time machine for the first time. Turns out, this is his first invention that actually works! (this is C Story of Doc the Inventor)
    • (53:09) Doc listens to the videotape – 1.25GW of power is hopelessly out of reach. Marty’s doomed. (“Gee-gha watts!” Oh, gimme a break, Hollywood…)
    • (54:41) Fortunately, the solution is quickly found – harness the lightning that struck the clock tower!
    • But first, Marty needs to undo the damage…
  • Bad Guys Close In [here, mostly B story moves forwards, but A Story vitally depends on it]
    • (56:48) Marty goes to George’s high school trying to convince George to take Lorraine out for dance. It proves to be rather hopeless, because…
    • (57:51) …a complication: we find that Lorraine is much more attracted to Marty than to George.
    • (1:00:00) Marty discovers that George writes sci-fi. Marty tries again to get his attention to Lorraine.
    • (1:00:50) Biff is harrasing Lorraine. Marty intervenes, inadvertantly making things even worse…
    • (1:01:41) Marty keeps following George around, desperately trying to convince him about Lorraine. George puts an ultimatum (“Nobody on this planet is going to change my mind!”).
    • (1:02:27) Marty comes to George at night in a “space suite” pretending to be Darth Vader and commands him to ask Lorraine out.
    • (1:03:54) Marty coaches George on how to ask a girl out. We see George beginning to change. He still fumbles (“density” instead of “destiny”), but at least he tries.
    • (1:05:35) Biff arrives at the most inappropriate moment. Stakes are getting higher. (BTW, watch the music! It is GENIUS how it winds down.) Marty fights Biff.
    • (1:06:21) Show off with the impromptu skateboard – Marty is a total hero with the chase ending with Biff literally all in shit (1:07:52)
  • All Is Lost
    • (1:08:18) But the more Marty succeeds, the more he fails… Now Lorraine has completely lost it to Marty.
  • Dark Night of the Soul
    • (1:08:49) Marty comes back to Doc, who’s watching the end of the tape (“They found me!”)
    • (1:09:21) Doc shows Marty his plan, almost setting his place on fire (1:11:07)
    • (1:11:24) Lorraine comes to Doc – she found Marty and she invites him to the dance with her on Saturday. She likes George, but “a man should be strong” (1:12:43). Marty now understands what Lorraine needs.
  • Break into Three
    • (1:12:59) Marty tells George of his plan to win Lorraine. Setting up a fake fight where George would win. Everything is looking good so far.
  • Finale
    • (1:14:47) Saturday night. Doc has set up the wires at the clock tower, everything seems to be ready. Marty tries to warn Doc about the danger in 1985, but Doc wouldn’t listen.
    • (1:16:00) Marty writes Doc a letter. He’s really on the roll to save everything and everybody. He won’t give up.
    • (1:16:36) Doc is starting to have problems. First, a cop. No biggy, but it’s a sign. Marty slips Doc the letter.
    • (1:17:00) At the dance – George is dancing alone. Marty drives Lorraine to the parking lot. George is late. Problems start – first, Lorraine doesn’t mind at all to be “taken advantage of” (1:17:55)
    • (1:19:05) Musicians take a break. George notices the time and runs out. Lorraine is really getting on Marty and kisses him.
    • (1:20:34) Biff beats Marty out of the car and gets in with Lorraine. Marty’s helpless.Biff’s guys throw Marty in a trunk of musicians’ car.
    • (1:21:45) Marty’s trapped in the trunk.
    • (1:22:18) George finds Biff instead of Marty in the car. George tries to fight Biff, but Biff is much stronger. All hope is lost.
    • (1:22:58) Back to Marty: he’s finally free, but the guitarist cuts his hand. Marty runs off to help George.
    • (1:23:24) George finally overcomes his fear and knocks Biff out. Marty’s late, but his help is no longer necessary. However, his older brother is still not back in the photo – something’s wrong.
    • (1:24:36) The guitarist cut his hand – he can’t play. Dance and kiss are in danger. Marty has to play the lead guitar.
    • (1:25:25) Some jerk takes Lorraine away from George. Marty’s in mortal danger, he’s almost dying. But George is now changed – he takes his girl back – Marty’s saved.
    • (1:27:26) The last show-off – Marty plays Johnny Be Good.
    • (1:30:25) End of B story – Lorraine is now in love with George, their final good-bye.
    • (1:31:34) Back to clock tower. Time’s running out. Doc notices something wrong with the photo (1:32:13).
    • (1:33:53) Doc discovers the letter – fuss about it (get it noticed by the viewers!)
    • (1:34:24) The cable breaks. Now we are really in trouble. The heroic sequence of repairing the cable. Marty tries to warn Doc again, the clock starts to beat. Marty runs off to the car and drives to the start mark while Doc is precariously hanging off the clock face with the cables.
    • (1:37:35) Marty finds another way to warn Doc – just arrive 10 min earlier!
    • Of course, we can’t let our heros off the hook so easy. Doc breaks the cable again while Marty is already picking up speed.
    • (1:41:08) And at the very last moment everything magically comes together and Marty travels back to 1985. Doc is ecstatic! (1:41:51) At last Doc has seen the proof of his inventions working. End of C Story.
    • (1:42:53) Back in 1985 – Marty’s still in trouble – his car wouldn’t start. He’s late to save Doc. He watches in desperation the terrorists chasing the earlier Marty who leaves to 1955, the terrorists crashing into a booth.
    • (1:45:00) But – surprise! – Doc is alive! He put the letter back together and took precautions – a bullet proof vest.
  • Final Image
    • (1:46:33) Doc goes to the future (set up for BTTF-2)
    • (1:47:04) Marty’s back home, seeing how his family has changed for the better, and especially his dad, George. Now Marty’s proud of him.
    • (1:49:12) Biff is waxing George’s car – the enemy is completely defeated.
    • (1:49:52) George’s book arrives – he’s now a published sci-fi writer
    • (1:50:12) And Marty receives the 4-wheeler for a gift he was dreaming about. He meets up with Jennifer – the world is now complete and better than it was.
    • (1:50:55) Of course, at that moment Doc has to arrive from the future and drag Marty and Jennifer “back to the future” – problem with their future kids! And of course, Doc has no time to waste (never mind the time machine and 30 years of lead time!). And the time machine is ever mightier than before – not only it takes trash for fuel (plutonium is so-o 1985), it can also fly!
    • THE END

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