Never understood this comment. He flips through a phone book, finds Docs name...and says "Great! You're alive."
What does that mean?
Marty knows Doc is older than 30. Marty knows Doc is still alive in 1985. And even if Marty suspected Doc might be dead in 1955 for some reason.... the phone book page is somehow confirmation that he's not dead? What?
He's just excited to find someone he knows who is living, rather than not yet in existence.
shareNah, he went into that book specifically to find Docs name. He already knows that Doc exists in 1955. Is "aliveness" shouldn't be coming as some sort of relief.
"Great, you live here in town" would make some sense, coming from a phone book.
Also, he's thrilled because he just saw doc get killed in the present.
shareThat doesn't make sense either. Again, how does a phone book confirm any of that? See what I'm saying?
shareNo. I really don't. You might be taking everything too literally.
shareWhat are you talking about I take it too literally? There's no metaphorical way or figurative way to even take it as.
Marty looks in a phone book, finds a name, and says "great, you're alive."
The phone book tells him where Docs house is and what his number is. And also says his occupation for some reason. It's not a book on living or dead people. People die every day, but its not like somebody goes and crosses out their name from the book. That comment makes zero sense.
You make zero sense. I wasn't even sure why you were asking the question in the first place. It's not that complicated.
shareWTF are you talking about?
His comment in that moment makes no sense. That's the point. You seem to think it does. There is absolutely no reason why a phone book is going to tell Marty if Doc is alive or not. Marty already knows Doc is alive. He might not know if he lives in Hill Valley at the time,... but his wellbeing isn't stated in a phone book.
I know what you’re trying to say. The above poster is not understanding you. I agree. It makes bo sense. Also you’re correct a name and number in a phone book would not be confirmation of someone being alive or dead.
shareExactly. Always seemed weird Marty would say that, even when I watched it as a kid
shareTechnically yes it makes no sense . Of course he's alive.
You've had 30 years to think about it and re watch the film .
Marty has just had his mental picture of reality turned upside down with time travel , seen doc killed , and then accidentally been transported back in time.
His mind is in no state to start making logical decisions and analyzing different schools of time travel theory like 21st century net nerd.
He doesent know how the "4th dimension" works,
Doc was dead 10 minutes ago , from his POV , now he's alive . its worth mentioning .
maybe he's forgot how far back he'd travelled abd was worried doc wasnt born yet .
also maybe , the events with doc getting shot might have cut short some future time travel adventure that was necessary to complete for doc to have even been born .
although i dont think Marty thought of that one .
"Doc was dead 10 minutes ago , from his POV , now he's alive . its worth mentioning ."
This is a part of my point and question... Doc was dead 10 minutes ago...but how does he know he's alive now? The phone book doesn't give you that information. Keep in mind he says it as if it's a reveal.
You're a nitwit. Whatever you're smoking, take a break from it and then watch the movie again. You're welcome.
shareAre you being intentionally obtuse? He's just glad Doc is alive after seeing him getting killed. Time travel is new to him. He wasn't sure what was going on. He just said it in a half-facetious way. Stop nitpicking. It's just a movie.
shareI thought that was obvious as well.
shareYou missed my point then.
Explain what you just said: How does he know Doc is alive after seeing him get killed? How does the phone book allow him to be facetious? In that moment specifically, with the phone book. Think it through. He watched Doc get killed. Then he reads a phone book.
What does the phone book say about Doc's wellbeing that Marty didn't know before stepping into the phone booth that would prompt him to say that?
Take the time travel completely out of it. If you watch your friend that may or may have been just killed, and you see his name in a phone book... what sense of relief does this get you?
I love this movie to pieces, and AMJF is correct. It's more than just a movie to many many people, it's almost a culture. There's documentaries on just the subject of the Fandom. MJ Fox and Christopher Lloyd do appearances to this day.
Just because it's a nitpick doesn't make me wrong.
Yes, I do believe he's bring deliberately obtuse. I'm really rather sorry I ever tried to answer his question.
shareBecause you view it as obtuse doesn't negate the fact you can't properly explain this question.
shareOk. I will answer your question. Back in 1955 a name was automatically removed from all phone books if that person passed away. Everyone knows this!!!
shareMy last statement still stands. 🤣
shareGo ask your mom what it means, then get back to me.
share"Then go back to your parents basement" (or some other generic white flag.)
-xanthas
You can look at it as Marty discovering where Doc lives and just blurting it out without thinking. because as you say the comment doesn't really make sense.
shareYeah, I could accept that.
The comment itself makes no sense, but he's gone through a lot in a short period of time (no pun) Just that line of dialog always felt weird.
You were funny for about 2 minutes. It's way past old now.
shareThat's still two more minutes that you were funny. Or clever. Or honestly smart about this whole thing.
shareHey, I'm sorry you can't follow such a complex and elusive work of art as "Back to the Future."
shareSorry you can't properly explain a completely misplaced piece of dialog in that work of art, and are now desperately trying to hail-mary me into submission.
shareIt's not misplaced dialogue.
If it's such a mystery, why don't **YOU** figure it out yourself rather than berating others who have explained it over and over??
I first saw this film when I was a kid, in a theater when it was first released. I didn't even have trouble comprehending it then.
It's misplaced. You just never really thought about it until now. All of your explanations didn't make any sense, so you resorted to silly answers and insults. Review the conversation... you threw all the first punches, and then youre going to say the word "berate" ...give me a fucking break.
There is no mystery, it simply doesn't make any sense.
It's just trolling at this point.
shareI don't think you know what trolling is.
This is a movie fan discussion page. On the specific movie in question. This is the place to discuss these things.
Nothing you two said actually answers the question. Just amounted to "Well... it was fine."
You can disregard it as trolling, but that's just because you don't have anything else to say.
Marty is still shocked by shooting of Doc in 1985 and doesn't fully understand the time travel (that's why Doc is explaining the most basic things about it to him later on). That's all.
shareRead my previous responses. What is the phone book telling him in that moment, in his confusion?
shareNo, I think I won't bother. The intention of the scene has always been quite clear to me.
shareBecause you haven't thought about it, thats cool. But It caught me as weird every time I've watched it.
Take time travel out of it. You watch your friend who may or may not have just died. Then you read a phone book. What sense of relief is that going to get you?
Maybe there's something out of sequence or missing. The only explanation that makes sense to me is if Marty thinks that Doc is somehow erased from the timeline. Seeing his name in the phone book confirms that Doc is in fact alive and well in 1955, despite any other timeline shenanigans.
It doesn't make sense given the sequence of events in the movie, but maybe with an additional scene or dialog it could work.
Yeah that gels. If Marty thinks somehow Doc maybe doesn't exist anymore....he would say that. (Even though he has no reason to think that.)
Good call
I think he was just relieved, after all he has been through, that he could count on Doc.
shareYeah, I get what everyone is saying about relief in a stressful situation...
But I'm taking it a step further: WHY is he relieved? What it is about a name in a phone book that could mean relief in that moment? He already knows he's there, just doesn't know where.
In the script that Eric Stoltz was working with, Marty never said that...
Marty goes into the phone booth and flips through the directory.
Marty's finger comes to rest at “Brown, Emmett L. (Scientist).”
1640 Riverside Dr. HIllside 3-4385.
Marty smiles — just what he was hoping for.
The sign on the phone says “Local Calls — 5 cents.”
Marty digs out a nickel and dials the number.
It rings...and rings... and rings.
No answer. He hangs up.
MARTY: Not my day.
He rips the page out.
https://www.calameo.com/books/0000000254ce985435ba4
If that’s what the script says, the “you’re alive” line may have been improvised by Fox and, in that respect, makes sense
Fox is channeling a frazzled teenager who’s just seen his friend get killed
Seeing Doc’s name in the phone book reminds him he’s in the past, when Doc’s still alive.
Question: Why hasn’t everything else he’s seen already tell him he’s in the past?
Answer: It does, but Marty’s new to time travel and, again, emotionally traumatized.
So no, a phone book doesn’t confirm scientifically that Doc is, at that moment in 1955, alive. But Marty’s not a scientist. To Marty, the phone book simply confirms Doc EXISTS in 1955. He concludes Doc must be alive because, if Doc exists, he MUST be alive (because Marty knows where and when Doc will die in 1985)
Note: It might have made more sense for Marty to say, “good, you’re here” instead, but again, “you’re alive” tells us more about Marty’s state of mind at that moment
Because the Doc of 1985 was technically dead, shot by the Libyans. So maybe he thought because he was dead in 1985, he'd be dead in 1955
share