MovieChat Forums > Back to the Future Part II (1989) Discussion > Is Marty McFly the Worst Son in Fiction

Is Marty McFly the Worst Son in Fiction

posted 2 years ago by HarveyManFredSin (4877)
4 replies | jump to latest

In the original BTTF, he goes back in time and sets up a series of events that almost gets his mother raped by Biff.

And in this film, his greed contrives a situation where his mom ends up married to the said would-be rapist (not to mention, his old man is dead, his brother is in prison, and his sister is a step away from being in prison herself, although I don't know what for, unless Biff was able to change the law regarding the penalties for defaulting on a debt).

[–] blindfolded (1661) 2 years ago

That's a stretch, blaming the direct consequences of Biff on Marty.

If you're going to make an argument that he "set the events in motion," why would you stop at Marty's actions? By the same logic, you could blame Doc for Lorraine's attempted rape and George's murder because he actually set things in motion with the invention of time travel.

With that kind of logic, you could place blame in the Wright Bros for 9/11.

[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) 2 years ago

Well, it's a tongue-in-cheek thread, because I like the films, and I like Marty, and I don't *truly* believe he's a bad son.

I just find it interesting that some of Marty's choices had the unintended consequences of landing his parents, particularly his mom, in the worst possible circumstances.

[–] blindfolded (1661) 2 years ago

Ah gotcha.

I wasn't sure... I actually had a discussion with people here who literally blamed Doc for everything that happens.

But yeah, I see what you're saying. It wasn't a bunch of "other" people who always seemed affected, it was always his family lol

[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) 2 years ago

Well, I'm sure other people were adversely affected by his actions (the butterfly effect, and all that, and the fact that because Marty bought the Almanac, Hill Valley turned into Hell Valley...), but, yeah, it was his family whose fates we were most invested in (although clearly the Black family that ended up in Marty's family home, and Strickland, among various others, suffered too).

But, like I say, this is meant to be a 'fun' thread, so to speak, although if time-travel were possible, I'm not sure we should tinker with it, far less leave it in the hands of individuals, even well-meaning ones like Doc, to play around with.