[net.movies] "Back to the Future" Question

duane@anasazi.UUCP (Duane Morse) (08/02/85)

Toward the end of the movie, when the kid's parents-to-be finally kiss,
the kid shows Doc the picture of himself with his brother and sister
to prove that things are going to work out ok. After the movie was
over, it dawned on me that Doc looked puzzled when he saw the
picture, and he said something to himself such as "I was afraid
of that." Did the picture show the family as the kid found them
when he returned to his "present"?
-- 

Duane Morse	...!noao!terak!anasazi!duane
(602) 275-0302

mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (08/05/85)

In article <249@anasazi.UUCP> duane@anasazi.UUCP (Duane Morse) writes:

>Toward the end of the movie, when the kid's parents-to-be finally kiss,
>the kid shows Doc the picture of himself with his brother and sister
>to prove that things are going to work out ok. After the movie was
>over, it dawned on me that Doc looked puzzled when he saw the
>picture, and he said something to himself such as "I was afraid
>of that." Did the picture show the family as the kid found them
>when he returned to his "present"?

I thought he was reacting to Marty's statements that his father had just 
decked Biff and that his father had "never stood up to Biff in his life."
The future had been changed; hence the comment.

C Wingate

larsen@utah-gr.UUCP (Mark Larsen) (08/06/85)

The moment you are refering to is just before Marty returns to the
future.  Marty had just told Doc how his father had really come
through and stood up to Biff.  Doc is amazed and suspects that this
will cause some changes to the future since George McFly had never
stood up to Biff in his life.  He asks to see the picture wondering
if it will now reflect the change in the future.  It doesn't but
Doc still isn't convinced.  However, he doesn't have time to worry
about it and so brushes off Marty with an "Oh never mind".  

I suspect that the picture couldn't change since it was with Marty
in the past although one might argue that since it showed the 
dissappearance of his brother and sister earlier, it should now
show the current state of things.  Maybe they messed up and really
intended to show a modified picture.

-lml
-- 
-----------
Ma faute! Comment cela?		L. Mark Larsen
UUCP:	{decvax|ihnp4|hplabs|seismo}!utah-gr!larsen
ARPA:	oper.larsen@utah-20
USnail: 4602 So. 600 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84107

kwc@cvl.UUCP (Kenneth W. Crist Jr.) (08/09/85)

> I suspect that the picture couldn't change since it was with Marty
> in the past although one might argue that since it showed the 
> dissappearance of his brother and sister earlier, it should now
> show the current state of things.  Maybe they messed up and really
> intended to show a modified picture.
> 
   I think that if the picture showed the new future that Marty had created,
it would have given away that Doc was probably alive. Until we see the Lone
Pine Mall sign, we are never quite sure that he will end up in the new future
or his old one.

						Kenneth Crist
						kwc@cvl
						Computer Vision Lab
						University of Maryland

brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (08/11/85)

In article <1544@utah-gr.UUCP> larsen@utah-gr.UUCP (Mark Larsen) writes:
>
>I suspect that the picture couldn't change since it was with Marty
>in the past although one might argue that since it showed the 
>dissappearance of his brother and sister earlier, it should now
>show the current state of things.  Maybe they messed up and really
>intended to show a modified picture.

I don't know what you are talking about.  The picture DOES change.
His siblings aren't nerds in the new picture.

Here's something to look for if you go back to the movie.  Marty writes
a note to Doc on the stationary of the coffee shop.  Now this makes no
sense to me, but when we see the 30 year old taped-together letter, the
letterhead is different!  (Or my memory went bad, which is also possible)

This is either:

	a) A continuity error or
	b) A hint that even more time travel is going on here
	   that isn't shown.

-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473

larsen@utah-gr.UUCP (Mark Larsen) (08/14/85)

The point was raised that having a modified picture would have given
away the fact that Doc survives in the new future.  I don't see how
this follows.  Considering that any changes in the future were caused by
Marty's presence and influence in the past, whether Doc survives or
not is irrelevant.  Besides, the picture only shows Marty and his
brother and sister and if changed, would only prove Doc's theory
that Marty's shinanigans during his week-long stay had rippled
into the future.  I guess I generally suscribe to the single timeline
view of history although it doesn't explain how Marty can see himself
upon his return.
-lml
-- 
-----------
Ma faute! Comment cela?		L. Mark Larsen
UUCP:	{decvax|ihnp4|hplabs|seismo}!utah-gr!larsen
ARPA:	oper.larsen@utah-20
USnail: 4602 So. 600 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84107

kwc@cvl.UUCP (Kenneth W. Crist Jr.) (08/14/85)

> I don't know what you are talking about.  The picture DOES change.
> His siblings aren't nerds in the new picture.
> 
> Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473

 I just saw the movie again Saturday night with some friends who had never
seen it. I looked very closely at the picture when Doc looks at it after
Marty gives his speech about his Dad decking Biff. The three figures are the
same as they were before. Dave still has the Mickey Mouse shirt on and his
sister still has the sweatshirt on.

						Kenneth Crist
						Computer Vision Lab
						University of Maryland

Vuja de: The incredible feeling that something like this has never happened
	 before.