Back to the Future was one of my favorite movies ever. It’s one of those films that comes together perfectly and does everything right. Today I wanted to take a look at the main character of the movie, and discuss what made that character work so well. Of course I am talking about..
Marty McFly
While it’s more than fair to point out that one of the reasons the character is so popular is because Michael J Fox 100% nailed the performance. He feels so natural, you feel like he’s just a regikar kid. He sells every scene where Marty is supposed to be looking in awe or disbelief at whatever he is seeing. Not to mention the emotional stuff he has to carry. And I always thought one reason for his friendship with Doc was that Doc gave Marty something George couldn’t, like guidance? Let’s discuss that a second.
I’ve seen people comment that Marty shouldn’t be considered the main character because he us just a spectactor. He doesn’t change in the movie he is just our guide as watch George and Lorraine learn and evolve by the movie’s end. Ok, there is certainly some truth to that (maybe that’s why he was slapped with such an obvious personality flaw in the sequels), but I say that isn’t 100% accurate.
When we first meet Marty he is eager to get his band in the school concert. But fails, and when his girlfriend tells him he is good and should bring his music to someone professional he bawks at it. He says, and admits to saying, what his father always said. That he’d be to afraid to get rejected. As the movie goes on he has to convince George to get together with Lorraine. In a weird way, he is being the uplifting guidance to George that George never seemed to give his son originally. By the end when he is home and sees that his father is not only successful but very successful, George tells Marty the very same advice that Marty had given to him in 1955. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Advice Doc had originally given Marty! It’s a bit of a circle but by helping his parents he his also maturing. This gets capitalized on in Part III when Marty switches roles with Doc, and he is the one reminding Doc he can’t change history for his own benefit.
Yes it’s subtle but I do believe Marty grows as a character in the first movie. And it does aggravate me that the sequels had to force that lame personality quirk on him (he can’t stand being called Chicken). It felt forced because that was no where to be found in the first movie. Though you could present and argument that when he changed history, he changed along with it. Not only is it forced but it’s sooo forced yoy know he’ll overcone it by the end, there is absolutely no suspense. Does it hurt his character? No, it just seened really unnecessary. The point is Marty does evolve in the films. And when I saw the Back to the Future cartoon portray as him just a dimiwitted teenager, I flipped. I only watch the one episode and never looked at it again.
Marty McFly & Michael J Fox is one of those perfect marriages of actor and chatacter that happens rarely and I still love watching those movies
Good article! I agree with you that the cartoon was bad.
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