As shocking as it might sound, re-watching Back To The Future reveals that Michael J. Fox’s protagonist Marty McFly isn’t actually all that likable. Some movie characters win viewers over with their sheer charm. Few viewers could honestly say that they navigate life with the ease and slickness of Captain Jack Sparrow or Ferris Bueller, but these characters remain icons thanks to their ineffable coolness. In contrast, other protagonists are relatably flawed in ways that many viewers find sympathetic. Back to the Future’s Marty McFly falls somewhere between these two camps.
Michael J. Fox’s megawatt charm means it is impossible not to root for Marty throughout the action of the Back to the Future trilogy. However, that doesn’t mean he’s an entirely relatable, average everyman. Even the movie’s opening sequence, which sees him hitch a ride on the back of a truck with his skateboard to the tune of “The Power of Love”, proves Back To The Future’s Marty is as much an aspirational figure as a relatable one. On this note, it is surprising just how unlikable he can be upon re-watching the original movie.
Back To The Future’s Marty McFly Is Surprisingly Hard To Like
Marty Makes Some Questionable Choices Throughout Back To The Future
Like Fox’s star-making role as Alex P Keaton in Family Ties, Marty McFly would be nowhere near as likable if it weren’t for Michael J. Fox. It is perhaps unsurprising that Eric Stoltz was replaced in Back To The Future at great expense during the movie’s shoot, since Marty could easily come across as a fairly feckless, self-centered character in the wrong hands. For one thing, Marty shamelessly checks out other girls in front of his loyal girlfriend Jennifer. He is also embarrassed about his father George being bullied by Biff, rather than reacting with sympathy.
In Back to the Future Part II, Marty temporarily jeopardizes his entire family’s future when he tries to make himself rich.
Later in the trilogy, Mart’s inability to let an insult go almost sees him ruin his future by engaging in a high-stakes game of chicken with some street punks. Similarly, in Back to the Future Part II, he temporarily jeopardizes his entire family’s future when he tries to sneak a sports almanac back to 1985 and use it to make himself rich. Although Doc stops him, the ensuing drama with Biff ends up ruining the life of Lorraine, Marty’s sister, and Marty’s brother in Back To The Future Part II and forcing Marty to once again travel back to 1955.
Marty’s Back To The Future Ending Highlights How Materialistic He Is
Marty Can’t Visualize Life Improvements In Non-Monetary Terms
Even when Marty finds out that he has improved the lives of his family immeasurably in Back To The Future’s ending, his reaction to their newfound financial success proves just how materialistic he is. The happiness of his family is secondary to their material wealth, and Marty is pretty unashamed about reveling in this inherited wealth. Admittedly, Marty’s worst moment didn’t make it into Back To The Future, but it still makes the character less wholesome.
In one Back To The Future deleted scene, Marty makes a homophobic comment while asking Doc about the problems with encountering his parents in the past. While the gag would have been considered less offensive in the ‘80s, it undoubtedly contributes to the sense that he is a self-absorbed, thoughtless character. Back To The Future’s antihero isn’t outright insufferable, but a re-watch proves that a lot of his charm comes from the actor and not the character.
Back to the Future
10/10
- Release Date
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July 3, 1985
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Robert Zemeckis
- Writers
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Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
- Producers
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Bob Gale, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Neil Canton