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What future for Marty without his trip to the 50s?

posted 3 years ago by Heisenberg (6318)
18 replies | jump to latest

His family at the beginning is full of losers and slackers.
He fixes their fortunes by going to the past.
Yet, his own future family is quite unsuccessful (so much so that Doc finds it necessary to fix it again).

What would their future be if he still belonged to his original family?
Would it still need Doc to fix it?
Or would Marty, who seemed already clever and resourceful at the beginning of the film, turn out successful and accomplished had his parents NOT spoiled him with their own success?

[–] VanHellion (607) 3 years ago

I would say that big bro would still be slinging fast food for the fatties in Mill Valley. Mom would still be a worthless drunken hag. Pops would still have his greasy hair being Biff's bitch and Marty's sis would be hustling handjobs under the clock tower to feed her upcoming meth habit.

Marty would still hang out with Doc on occasion and dating Jennifer to whom he will eventually prove he has weak pullout game and see her shit out a couple of kids. Ain't life grand?

[–] Heisenberg (6318) 3 years ago

That could fit the other McFlys, but Marty's future, without him improving his parents past, should be successful and rosy, ever more so if he is not spoilt and if he sees hardship around his family.
He is smart, resourceful and is connected, he is motivated and it's the 80s, so why do you feel his future would be bleak?

[–] VanHellion (607) 3 years ago

I was actually just fooling around. I agree with you - there's nothing to say that he would actually follow in his family's footsteps of mediocrity. In fact, he was a decent guitarist, right? He could have easily followed that!

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

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[–] Heisenberg (6318) 3 years ago

In BTTF2 we see his real future from the alternative reality he creates in BTTF.
I'm arguing that he is a failure in that future because of his time travel, while his normal future, with no time travel, would be successful.

Lots of people, certainly all the intelligent ones, DON'T copy their parents' mistakes, but take the example of their experience as what NOT to do in their lives. So, I would expect Marty to be against alcohol abuse, and a standup guy in his future, exactly like we see in BTTF. Unlike his father, he fight Biff and is very popular all over. That looks like a probable successful guy to me.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

I actually agree with VanHellions first post on the matter even though he was joking.

[–] Heisenberg (6318) 3 years ago

So to you Marty is a loser idiot that doesn't know how to avoid unwanted pregrancies?
He seems pretty savvy about sex and problem solving. It doesn't take einstein to not get your girl pregnant by mistake.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

I think he is full of bravado but lacks confidence. He is hot headed and rushes in to things and regrets his actions later.
So, in a nutshell, yes.

[–] Heisenberg (6318) 3 years ago

Bah, I remember in the eighties he looked like a cool and successful guy to look up to.
He was a master on the skateboard, great guitarist, sharpshooter, he was cool with girls, and was very brave and smart. He is just a kid, but he showed lots of potential, and we see that he brilliantly manages to solve the mess created by the time machine.

Also, he knows Doc and Red, so that shows he's already adult minded and he is not just thinking about silly teenage shit like most kids in the eighties were.

His hot headedness is a little flaw on an outstanding little guy, even more so if you consider his origins.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 3 years ago

I too remember the 80's and he didn't look cool at all to me. A seventeen year old kid on a skateboard isn't the essence of movie cool. Good job he didn't get his dads car for the weekend either seeing as he crashed that pick up on his first drive. In fact he was lucky to have the benefit of future knowledge so said outcome could be altered.
The mess wasn't made by the time machine, it was made by Marty.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

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[–] aavfreak (2862) 3 years ago

He'd have been a failure, just like his dad.

It's easy to say "Marty would have had the determination to be a success". However, if we watch him early in the movie it's clear he doesn't have his own shit together. Simple acts of self-discipline, like time-keeping, are beyond him. Early drafts of the script hint he's dabbling in criminal activity (video piracy). The closest thing he has to a role model is Doc (who himself is a bit of an unfocused scatterbrain).

I agree with this analysis.

Strickland even knew it: "You got a real attitude problem, McFly. You're a slacker. You remind me of you father when he went here. He was a slacker, too."

[–] Heisenberg (6318) 3 years ago

Strickland is nobody.
His opinion is worthless, like anybody's opinion talking down to any kid that age.

[–] aavfreak (2862) 3 years ago

He was right about George McFly.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7402) 3 years ago

His life would be Hell and so would his family's life. By going back in time he was able to get his Dad to be confident and stand up to Biff. Where as in the original time line his father is controlled by Biff and he can't stand up to him. I really don't see any good future without him going back in time. I really don't.

[–] AndyKing1967 (33852) 3 years ago

I think Marty's life would have turned out decidedly average if he hadn't of time travelled. Although he was a good guitarist, we saw that he suffered from the same lack of confidence as his Dad (who hid his writing talent because of his fear of failure) and so probably would have ended up playing in a covers band.

As for his kids, who knows? Was the McFly family always destined for mediocrity sans time travel?

[–] Gd5150 (11016) 3 years ago

Well it was 1985. Most likely he would’ve gone to college. Run up 50k in debt. Being in a band he would’ve partied a lot and dropped out. Would’ve spent his life paying off the $50k in college loans making $6hr working for Biff.

[–] Seperatrix (1089) 3 years ago

He'd work next to Ferris Bueller as a fry cook on Venus.