#but mainly it's about Marty DEVELOPING this latent instinct through his experiences in the first two movies

[incomingalbatross]

Many thoughts head full about the contrasts and parallels between the openings of the first and third BTTF movies.

First movie: opens on the mess left by Doc's days of sudden absence, followed by Marty walking in and saying "YIKES," accidentally adding to the mess, and then bolting away and leaving it behind when he finds out he's late for school.

Third movie: opens on Marty bringing Doc home, followed by a pan over the interior where we see he has not only carried the unconscious Doc inside and put him on the couch, but has taken off both of their socks, shoes, and coats, hung them to dry over the fire (that he may also have lit), and laid Doc's dressing-gown over him, before letting himself collapse into the nearest chair. It's a cozy, domestic scene that Marty created while bone-tired.

And that. That is GROWTH. That's responsibility. That's maturation! That's the shift between a child's assumption of "messes get cleaned up somehow, and if they don't who cares anyway?" and an adult understanding that "this mess HAS to be dealt with and if I don't do it right now it won't get done."

On the one hand, obviously, this makes me very proud of Marty. But it's simultaneously a little distressing. Because that's not a mentality shift someone should have to go through completely in under ten days. It didn't happen normally. And, as it turns out, that same new response of "this HAS to be dealt with and I have to step up and do it" is half of what leads to Marty's problems in the third film, because he doesn't have the experience to balance it against the actual situations he meets or other people's responsibilities.

[francisofgotham1]

It also fits with the end of the third movie *SPOILERS*

Marty becomes more and more focused in getting back to his present (aka stepping TOWARDS responsibility), while Doc begins showing more desire to stay in the Old West with Clara (aka running AWAY from responsibility). And that is exactly what ends up happening: Marty makes it back, and Doc stays and creates another machine.

And that, people, is another reason why the BTTF movies are considered “perfect movies”.

Many thoughts head full about the contrasts and parallels between the openings of the first and third BTTF movies.

First movie: opens on the mess left by Doc's days of sudden absence, followed by Marty walking in and saying "YIKES," accidentally adding to the mess, and then bolting away and leaving it behind when he finds out he's late for school.

Third movie: opens on Marty bringing Doc home, followed by a pan over the interior where we see he has not only carried the unconscious Doc inside and put him on the couch, but has taken off both of their socks, shoes, and coats, hung them to dry over the fire (that he may also have lit), and laid Doc's dressing-gown over him, before letting himself collapse into the nearest chair. It's a cozy, domestic scene that Marty created while bone-tired.

And that. That is GROWTH. That's responsibility. That's maturation! That's the shift between a child's assumption of "messes get cleaned up somehow, and if they don't who cares anyway?" and an adult understanding that "this mess HAS to be dealt with and if I don't do it right now it won't get done."

On the one hand, obviously, this makes me very proud of Marty. But it's simultaneously a little distressing. Because that's not a mentality shift someone should have to go through completely in under ten days. It didn't happen normally. And, as it turns out, that same new response of "this HAS to be dealt with and I have to step up and do it" is half of what leads to Marty's problems in the third film, because he doesn't have the experience to balance it against the actual situations he meets or other people's responsibilities.