Marty Saving His Parents' Romance
A teenager risks erasure to ensure his parents meet and fall in love.
This narrative arc serves as the emotional and structural backbone of the original film, driving the central conflict across two distinct timelines. It details Marty McFly's desperate mission in 1955 Hill Valley to ensure his mother, Lorraine, falls for his father, George, rather than falling for Biff Tannen.
Quick Facts
- Primary protagonist
- Marty McFly
- Key location
- Hill Valley, California
- Vehicle used
- DeLorean Time Machine
- Antagonistic force
- Biff Tannen; Fate
Lore & Background
The core of this storyline relies on the concept of temporal causality, where changing a minor event in the past can erase the future. By interfering with his parents' first meeting, Marty jeopardizes his existence: his siblings begin to fade from a photo he carries with him. This arc highlights the theme of self-fulfilling prophecy. Marty must orchestrate events so that George McFly gains confidence to kiss Lorraine at the school dance, unaware that the encouragement comes from their own future son.
The success of this romance ensures Marty's birth and survival in the timeline. The resolution requires precise timing involving natural phenomena. To return home safely without a plutonium power source, Marty must synchronize his arrival with a lightning strike hitting the clock tower. This moment ties together the scientific mechanics of time travel with the emotional stakes of family history.
Reader's Guide
The story begins when Marty accidentally travels back from 1985 to 1955 in a modified DeLorean powered by a flux capacitor. Upon arrival, he inadvertently prevents his future parents from falling in love: Lorraine was supposed to tend to George instead of Marty after a car accident. To correct the timeline, Marty must guide George to win Lorraine's affection. This involves creating new memories for them that align with what should have happened naturally, ensuring they fall in love despite Biff Tannen's interference. The climax occurs when a lightning bolt striking the clock tower powers the DeLorean's return to 1985. As the storm hits, he successfully restores the timeline, returning home to find his parents confident and happy, proving that his actions in the past secured their future.
Did You Know?
- In 1985 the DeLorean's time travel is powered by plutonium; in 1955 the only available source capable of generating the 1.21 gigawatts required is a lightning bolt.
- Marty steps in for Marvin Berry on guitar at the dance, and the band plays "Earth Angel" as George and Lorraine kiss.
More in Films & Narrative Arcs
Elsewhere in Back to the Future
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced