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?
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. Or maybe he thought Doc was erased from existence and wouldn't be there in 1955. So therefore why would a telephone book have a name number and occupation for a nonexistent person?
shareI just saw it as a comedic line. Since he saw him get shot right before his eyes, he isn't really thinking straight.
shareLet's look at the situation. Marty has just gone back in time. At the moment he is suffering from culture shock. not to mention being unable to believe that he is actually back in 1955.
His remark makes perfect sense in that he is so overwhelmed by what has happened that he isn't sure anything is as he knows it should be.
Being disoriented like that, I personally might have "breathed a sigh of relief" and said exactly the same thing. Doc is a link to his life and he is happy to see that he is alive. Maybe the line "Good, you live in town" as you stated might have made more sense, but I believe at the moment, he was looking for something to help him get some bit of "normal" back.