Everything Great About BTTF
Part 3
0:03:18-The quieter score that acts as the overture to the final act of the entire trilogy. This is probably the quietest moment out of all three movies, and even though it's raining in the movie, it acts as the calm before the storm.
0:03:34-Marty carrying Doc out of the car and into the house!
0:04:25-I love the implication here that Marty lit the fireplace by himself and set up that drying line for his and Doc's socks and jackets.
0:04:35-Marty left the hoverboard back in front of the Lyon Estates sign, so him having it here now means he drove back to get it after getting Doc in the car! I love that!
-Also I love that he's using it as a footrest. There's some thinking outside the box!
0:04:45-Doc's robe draped over him like a blanket!
0:04:55-The television must've been on all night, so Marty must've fallen asleep watching it. Probably to get his mind off of things and destress for a while.
0:05:27-Copernicus stole Doc's spot!
0:05:43-He's still just so excited that everything was a success and that the time machine works!
-I also love that he keeps an audio log rather than a written journal. Doc definitely strikes me as the type of guy where his thoughts move faster than his hand can.
0:06:15-Marty doesn't interrupt Doc either! That is, until it's the right time of course.
0:06:31-Doc's reaction to seeing Marty again after just seeing him off the night before is just so great!
0:06:42-I don't know what it is about the door slam here, but it just cracks me up every time!
0:07:03-He calls Marty “Future Boy” again because he's back to thinking this is all an elaborate ruse. Consistency!
0:07:35-I love that Marty is just playing around with all the old equipment in the lab while Doc reads the letter. As far as he knows, this is the last time he's going to ever see Doc again, and he's just trying to hold onto these moments for as long as possible.
0:08:06-Look at how his face lights up when he sees that he's living such a great life in his favorite time period!
0:08:17-Oof and Marty's trying to match his excitement, but right before the shot cuts, his smile fades so fast. He's still processing that he might have to return to a 1985 without Doc yet again. Especially when you take into consideration how much he fought to save Doc's life in part 1.
0:08:37-The “That's me” line is actually written in the letter!
0:09:56-What more could I even say about this. You can hear how choked up they're both getting over the letter as Doc reads the end of it. At this point, Doc has only known Marty for little more than a week and will only have him around until they get the DeLorean fixed, yet he cares so much about him already, and reading the letter just tells him how much he will end up caring about him. Marty on the other hand has presumably known Doc for years already, and is about to suddenly not have him in his life anymore. He's hanging on to every last word that comes from his friend.
0:10:03-See even Copernicus is getting emotional!
0:10:41-Marty wearing what is undoubtedly a coat that belongs to Doc!
0:10:50-Aw Copernicus has his own helmet!
0:11:29-He sounds so excited here! One of the things I love about Doc is that he still has that childlike imagination and sense of wonder. He's not as cynical or jaded like some other characters that are similar to him.
0:12:11-There. Right there. I think that's my favorite Doc and Marty moment. Marty's having trouble pronouncing “schematic” and instead of being annoyed with him or belittling him, Doc just casually corrects him without making a big deal out of it. Because we don't see any more George and Marty interactions, Doc sort of takes on this father role to Marty throughout the sequels, but this moment right here reminds us that they're still friends, and Doc sees Marty as an equal too. It can be both, guys.
0:13:20-I like that they keep it ambiguous whether Doc has taped back together the letter yet or not. We don't know how much time has passed between Sunday morning and now, so for all we know he could have read it, or it could still be in pieces in his pocket or on a desk somewhere.
0:14:53-”Why is Copernicus on the table?” “He likes to be tall.”
0:15:44-Gah you can hear the determination in Marty's voice. He heard Doc himself say that he doesn't want Marty coming back for him at any cost, yet Marty would do anything to ensure that his best friend is alive and well in 1985.
0:16:09-Marty's atomic cowboy outfit is always a win.
-Also I like to think that Doc gave Marty that costume so that he could be easily spotted by himself in 1885 since Marty does blend in with crowds quite easily when given period-accurate clothes.
0:16:17-Marty points at the movie poster of one of Clint Eastwood's earlier movies!
0:16:36-And there Doc goes back to dad mode as he runs Marty through the check-list of everything before the trip.
0:17:04-A nice little nod to the last line of part 1!
0:17:18-This same shot composition has been used before in part 1. Once when Doc is first explaining how the time machine works, and again when he's inputting Marty's destination time at the end of the movie. With each time it's used, you can see Doc and Marty progressively get more serious as the situation gets more serious. At the end of part 1, Doc had run through the plan so many times that he was fairly confident. There was a strict time limit they had to work with. Now, Doc is just as unsure as Marty is about what awaits him in 1885. The excitement is gone, it's business time.
0:18:45-I love this new time travel sequence so much! At this point, we had already seen the DeLorean travel so many times, it wasn't special anymore, and I think both Gale and Zimeckis realized that, because after a while they stopped showing it too. But this is something that we haven't seen yet, and it still looks fresh and exciting after watching these movies so many times!
0:22:04-Seamus McFly is such an underrated character, so I'm gonna give him acknowledgements early on here. He's just an incredibly nice guy and he's so polite and sincere!
0:23:21-I just love how no-nonsense Maggie is. She doesn't really want anything to do with Marty here. It's a nice change of pace from the previous two waking up scenes.
0:23:33-Marty's checking to see if he still has his pants on.
0:24:27-I just love how warm and cozy this dinner scene is. And that food looks pretty good too. They really did their best to make this 1885 look as historically accurate and as real as possible which I'll talk about more later. The water isn't all that great, but that was the cleanest drinking water back then.
0:25:47-Awww! He just cares so much! I love Seamus.
-Also I really like how time travel has this mystical element to it, like there's some omnipotent universe magic going on here. I love how family can always sense some sort of connection even if one of them hasn't even been born yet.
0:26:43-Another testament to the dedication that goes into these movies: All of 1885 Hill Valley is built from the ground up. Not a single set is out there. The landowner actually let the buildings stay up after they were done filming, and they lasted a long time until a lightning strike started a fire that burned the town to the ground.
-Also every costume worn in 1885 Hill Valley was made for the movie since all existing costumes weren't historically accurate enough for Zimeckis.
0:26:55-Here's where the Statler Toyota got its start!
0:28:51-Again, this is not a set! It's a fully constructed building with four walls and everything! Seriously, they went all out for part 3!
0:28:59-The group of old men are all played by Hollywood western alumni. From left to right we have Dub Taylor, Harry Carrey Jr., and Pat Buttram. Even the bartender, Chester, is played by Matt Clark who has also been in his fair share of westerns.
0:30:11-I know I've already sung the praises of the makeup department so much already, but I'm gonna do it again here. When I was a kid, I had no idea that that was Tom Wilson playing Buford here! Sometimes, even though I know that it's the same actor, I still have trouble seeing him under all that makeup! They totally transformed him!
-And again, I'm going to sing praises to Tom Wilson's acting here. He really nails the performance as Buford from his accent to his mannerisms to the sheer amount of skills he had to build up for the role. He learned how to ride a horse and throw a lasso just for this part! He had even been taking lessons during production of part 2. Another dedication win!
0:31:20-See, Marty, you're not the only one who doesn't like to be called names! Except, you just don't shoot anyone for it. Good for you actually.
0:31:44-If you listen closely, he's singing “Billie Jean”!
-Also I love how everyone comes rushing back just to see what the hell Marty is doing.
0:32:41-Sorry, no skateboard or hoverboard chase scene. Instead, all we get is the unfortunate aftermath of what happens when Marty brings running shoes to a horse race.
0:33:44-The slow reveal of Doc as he comes to Marty's rescue is just so badass!
0:34:27-Nice callback to when Biff wrecked the car at the beginning of part 1 and spilled beer on his sport coat. This movie has a nice way of bringing things full circle.
0:35:19-Doc is pretty evidently annoyed that Marty didn't listen to him in his letter, but it has been eight months since he's last seen him, so he still gives Marty a hug anyway. Doc and Marty hugs are always a win.
0:36:19-Fun fact! The mayor was originally going to be played by Ronald Reagan himself, but when offered the role, he politely declined.
0:37:21-Aw he's still worried about Jennifer!
-Also I really like the banter between Doc and Marty when they talk about the possibility of Doc falling in love. It's just a nice down-to-earth moment amid all the chaos time travel brings.
0:38:40-This shot with Doc talking to Marty while we also see Marty's reflection in the mirror is just so cool! I don't know why but I just love it so much!
0:40:49-The clock face is being unloaded from the train in the background!
0:41:46-And there's Clara on the left behind Marty!
0:42:16-Again, I love how Doc never talks down to Marty when he's explaining time travel things to him like fourth-dimensional thinking, and he never gets tired or annoyed with Marty for not catching on as quickly as he's able to. This isn't Marty's wheelhouse and Doc knows that.
0:43:22-Saving your future wife win!
0:44:02-It's a common archetype that highly intelligent scientist characters don't really get emotions like love and feel the need to rationalize their feelings with facts and logic and honestly, I never really liked that. Doc could have easily fallen into that, but he doesn't! He just gets it and he runs with it! Do I believe in love at first sight in real life? Not really, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it in fiction. Doc and Clara are a joy to watch and I love them so much!
0:44:35-Marty is still so polite as always!
0:44:52-AW! The way Doc smiles when Clara calls him by his name is just so contagious!
0:45:25-Using the overture theme as Clara reveals her scientific interests and reveals that she's going to be important to the story!
0:50:17-As much as Marty teased Doc about it earlier, he is quite surprised that Doc is actually falling in love. Plus they also have a 1985 to get back to and Marty doesn't want things to get too complicated. We see an interesting role reversal here with Doc and Marty for a majority of the movie. Yeah, Marty still has his arc of dealing with his toxic masculinity and all, but Doc also has an arc of his own with Clara.
0:51:29-The photographer is actually Dean Cundey, the director of photography for all three movies!
0:51:54-The band playing onstage is ZZ Top! Fun fact, Robert Zimeckis is actually a huge ZZ Top fan!
0:52:58-Doc is just so charming here. Not because he's particularly charismatic or anything, but because he's just so sweet and sincere. Mary Steenburgen has said before on one of the DVD extras that while shooting scenes for Doc and Clara, all the women in the crew would verbally go “aww” at Christopher Lloyd's acting. These two are seriously so adorable it hurts!
0:54:37-Points for honesty!
0:56:38-Although it is interesting to see Marty just drop references to the future without really thinking twice. True, it could be that he's more relaxed because it's a party and there's no trouble to be had. It's down time before Doc and Marty leave for the future, but maybe he has this attitude because Doc and Clara are getting closer now despite what Doc said earlier. If Doc can change history and fall in love with someone who is technically 60 years older than him, then why should Marty keep his cover together? He's already a stranger to town, no one is going to pay him any attention if he says weird things.
0:58:34-Yes! Self-defense win! Although if it weren't for all those layers she probably could have hit him higher. Clara can handle herself and we love to see it!
0:59:54-For a gang of outlaws they sure are organized!
1:01:03-Well now we know where Biff got his tendency to mix his metaphors. Must've been passed down through the generations.
1:02:47-As gruesome as it is, I like this little addition to Seamus. He isn't just another person in the background of Marty's adventure, he's a whole character with his own life before Marty showed up. Plus this story helps push Marty along his character arc.
1:04:27-See even Doc is slipping up too, it's not just Marty. Although here he slips up out of just being so darn excited that someone shares his interests, and it's someone he likes no less. Sure, Marty might have some small interest in science and science fiction, but he's not on the same level that Doc is on like Clara. Every moment they spend together, Doc just falls in love with Clara more and more! It doesn't matter to him at all that she's from a completely different time period. He loves her.
1:04:50-Aw that's just so sweet. The shooting star as they both kiss under the stars. Have I mentioned how much I love these two?
-Also that's Christopher Lloyd's first onscreen kiss if you can believe it!
1:05:25-A fun little callback to the opening of the first movie with the breakfast machine, the ticking clocks, and even Marty finding that Doc isn't home.
1:08:04-Subverting expectations!
1:09:59-Man, I really feel for both Doc and Marty here. Doc clearly loves Clara and wants to spend his life with her. That's plain as day. But Marty doesn't wanna lose Doc either. The plan has always been that both of them go back to 1985, and now Doc's saying he wants to stay? Marty has come too far to rescue his friend and bring him home. No one is really the bad guy here, they're just two friends who want to do what they feel is right.
1:11:30-Gah and you can just hear the hurt in his voice and how crestfallen he is at the thought of having to leave Clara especially after things were going so well between them!
1:15:04-Chester calls Doc by name, probably indicating that Doc is well-known and well-liked by the people in town which is so much different than how he's treated back in 1985. And now he's thinking that he's about to leave all of that behind.
-Also that defeated look of heartache that Doc has all because he's thinking he'll never see Clara again and that they left on such bad terms. He's distraught, and he's gonna make it everyone else's problem.
1:17:16-The saloon is so much more packed this morning. Either I guess since everyone is there to watch the duel, or they heard Doc was raving about the future and wanted to come take a gander. Probably the former, but I like to think some people are there just to listen to Doc.
1:23:43-Well said!
1:25:40-Clara's description of Doc brought to us by Bob Gale's wife. It was originally going to be something else, but she made him change it to that to make it all the sweeter!
1:27:26-The trailer at the end of part 2 kind of spoiled the outcome of the duel by showing scenes after this point, but Doc and Seamus's reactions to Marty getting shot totally made my younger self forget about all that when I first watched this movie. The shock on Doc's face as he tries to process what just happened and the sorrow on Seamus's face when he sees Marty just going down so easily like that after rooting for him so much.
1:28:36-Buford getting punched out by Marty is the exact same way Biff got punched out by George! Minus the manure of course. But just as satisfying!
1:29:57-Looking out for your family!
1:30:08-The dust is still in the air from Doc and Marty riding off! She just barely missed them! It just adds so much to the already tense grand finale.
1:31:22-Doc helping Marty on to the train! Again, he could have easily gone ahead without Marty since they're on a tight schedule, but he still waited for him!
1:32:07-Speaking of masks, Doc's bandanna is the train shirt he had in part 2!
1:33:17-Doc blowing the train whistle and being excited about it is just delightful. Marty's laugh here is so genuine too. They're about to go through probably the most stressful sequence out of all three movies, but they still find time to share a laugh and have a good time. Unbeknownst to them, it's also one of the last moments they're gonna have together for a while.
1:33:55-In the background you can still see Doc and Marty's camp set up where the smoke is coming from!
1:38:03-Awww! I just love how Doc's face lights up when he sees Clara and hears her say she loves him! She's right, he does have puppy dog eyes!
1:40:39-Marty sees the speed here and knows that there's a very small chance that Doc and Clara are gonna make it into the DeLorean in time, but he still slips Doc the hoverboard so both of them can be safe. I don't think he's made peace with the fact that he'll be going back home without Doc, but he can't deal with that right now.
1:42:22-The ravine is now Eastwood Ravine instead of Clayton or Shonash. Kind of how the name of the mall changed at the end of part 1.
1:43:03-For this shot they had to take apart the DeLorean in strategic places and set up explosives inside so that it could crash like that. In reality, it wouldn't have been so spectacular, but that's why we watch movies, right? To get out of real life for a while?
1:43:18-And one last bit to tie part 3 back to part 1 with the license plate spinning.
1:44:20-I actually like that they added this. Biff is still tough and a force to be reckoned with. It's just George and his family that he sucks up to now because of what happened in 1955.
1:47:36-And thus brings Marty's arc to an end. We love to see some good character growth!
1:48:21-You can see how hurt he is when he says that. Sure, he knows Doc can always send him a letter, but there's no way Marty can communicate to Doc in the past. He's already going to have a hard enough time acclimating to the new timeline, but now he has to do it all without Doc there.
1:48:58-The arrival of the time train is just so perfect, and it looks amazing too! It even has Doc's initials on the side!
1:50:09-As disappointed as I am that Doc and Marty don't get one last hug, this is still pretty nice and heartwarming. Plus at least now Marty has the full photograph to look at rather than the torn up one that was in the DeLorean wreckage.
1:50:40-A quote so good, I've had it on my letter board since graduation and haven't changed it since. These films are already timeless, but I think this message has truly stood the test of time. I know the sequels get a lot of flack and aren't really held in as high of esteem as the first movie, but I really think that they're just as good as the first movie. True, they don't work as standalone movies like part 1, but I hardly ever just watch the first movie by itself. I love these characters and I love watching them go on adventures. I love seeing where they go and what they do, and these sequels do a great job of providing an extension of the first movie. I won't get too sentimental here, I'll save that for my tumblr, but I think out of all the messages these films have, this one at the end here is the one I hold on to the most. I turned 18 and I graduated high school this year (2020) and I honestly never thought I would ever live to see those events. The future isn't written yet, and it's up to us to write it.