Back to the Future is one of those classic movies that feels perfect. Every beat, every character, everything the creators set out to do was flawlessly executed with no logical lapses. If you had these feelings toward Back to the Future, you’re not alone, as filmmakers like James Gunn feels the same way.
The perfection of this iconic science-fiction movie about traveling teenager was put into doubt over a nagging plot hole: wouldn’t George and Lorraine McFly remember more about Calvin Kline? After all, he looked just like their own son, Marty McFly. Now, Back To The Future screenwriter Bob Gale is putting it to rest. Here’s what he said:
Bear in mind that George and Lorraine only knew Marty/Calvin for six days when they were 17, and they did not even see him every one of those six days. So, many years later, they still might remember that interesting kid who got them together on their first date. But I would ask anyone to think back on their own high school days and ask themselves how well they remember a kid who might have been at their school for even a semester. Or someone you went out with just one time. If you had no photo reference, after 25 years, you'd probably have just a hazy recollection.
Bob Gale’s reasoning to The Hollywood Reporter relies quite a few factors, especially the hazy memory of most people. Personally I think the more logical answer is that George and Lorraine McFly wouldn’t ever realistically believe their son could be Calvin Kline is because for them time machines are just science fiction.
Back To The Future is over thirty years old, but continues to make headlines over the years due to a rabid fanbase and timeless material. Plus the fact that it has its characters traveling to the year 2015, a time that already feels like ages ago. But for fans of the trilogy, 2015 was a magical year that wanted to see 19 Jaws sequels made, the release of a Nike shoe with power laces, and the promise of a hover board.
Questions about a fourth Back To The Future have always hung in the air for fans. Everyone wants to see Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel through time again. Even Christopher Lloyd admitted he dreamed it would become a reality, but unfortunately claimed it’s not going to happen. But if a sequel did become real, Lloyd thinks it should tackle a real-life issues like climate change.
More recently, Back To The Future fans were treated to a viral deep fake video of Tom Holland as Marty McFly and Robert Downey Jr. as Doc Brown-- a look at what could be if they ever decided to reboot the franchise. The doctored video of their faces implanted on Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s bodies is uncanny and a little intriguing to say the least.
This deep fake video also got the attention of Tom Holland, who seems eager to want to recreate it for real with Robert Downey Jr. I for one would be curious to see how that short film would turn out.
