Bob Gale, writer of the iconic Back To The Future, reveals the radically different first draft of the film, including a time-traveling fridge instead of the DeLorean. He also discusses how elements from his original screenplay were used in Forrest Gump and Indiana Jones 4. The podcast explores the staying power and cultural impact of Back To The Future, the development of Marty's character, the significance of Hill Valley, script changes, the evolution of Biff Tannen, and the decision to use a DeLorean as the time machine.
Back to the Future explored universal themes of curiosity, wonderment, and the realization that our parents were once like us.
The initial concept for Back to the Future involved a kid going to high school with his parents as contemporaries, leading to the invention of the iconic time-traveling DeLorean.
Changes in the script and budget constraints shaped the storytelling, with impactful visuals and adherence to established rules creating suspense and engagement with the audience.
Deep dives
The Cultural Relevance of Back to the Future
Back to the Future tapped into universal themes and questions that cross all cultures and generations. It explored the curiosity and wonderment of wondering what our parents were like when they were our age, and the realization that our parents were once just like us. The film also highlighted the idea that our decisions shape our own destiny, and that even the smallest actions can have significant repercussions. Back to the Future captured these concepts and presented them in a relatable and entertaining way, which contributed to its immense cultural impact.
Early Concepts and Evolution of Back to the Future
The initial concept for Back to the Future revolved around a kid going to high school with his parents as contemporaries. From there, the writers asked questions and made decisions that shaped the story, such as the invention of the time machine by the eccentric Doc Brown in his garage, the use of a DeLorean as the iconic time machine, and Marty's aspiration to be a musician. The writing process involved exploring various ideas, including a time-traveling fridge, but ultimately settled on the time-traveling DeLorean. The storytelling was guided by the principle of establishing rules and sticking to them, while also creating relatable and likable characters like Marty and Doc.
The Evolution of the Story and the Importance of Visual Storytelling
The first draft of Back to the Future featured different elements compared to the final film. It started with Marty and Doc running a VHS film piracy operation and evolved into a daring plan to use a nuclear bomb blast to transport back to the future. However, due to budget constraints, the story was reworked to focus on the lightning bolt and the clock tower in the town square. This change maximized the use of an existing location, ensuring the film stayed within budget. The iconic photo of Marty and his siblings disappearing played a significant role in communicating the stakes and consequences of altering the past. Back to the Future demonstrated the importance of impactful visuals and adhering to established rules to create suspense and engagement with the audience.
Creating the Town of Hill Valley
The town of Hill Valley in the Back to the Future series was initially not well-defined in the first draft. It didn't even have a name. However, due to logistical and financial reasons, the decision was made to shoot the film on the Universal backlot town square. This provided total control over the environment without the need for expensive location changes. The town square itself became a significant element and a benchmark throughout the series, representing different time periods and acting as a character in its own right.
Changes in Characters and Plot
Several changes were made to the characters and plot of Back to the Future. Initially, Doc Brown had a chimpanzee named Shemp instead of Einstein the dog. However, this change was demanded by the CEO of MCA due to the belief that movies with chimps don't make money. Marty's mother's name also went through revisions, with the final name being Lorraine, inspired by the CEO's wife, Lorraine Gary. Additionally, different versions of the script explored alternate timelines and locations, such as Marty ending up in the 1920s or 1967. The series' enduring popularity is attributed to maintaining the integrity of the original films and not attempting reboots or sequels without the core cast.
Great Scott, it’s the end of season two so we're going out with a 88mph, 1.21 gigawatt bang. Joining us before we make like a tree and get out of here, as Biff Tannen might say, is none other than Bob Gale –writer of the iconic Back To The Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this 1985 time travel adventure needs no introduction – but trust us when we say it was almost a very, very different movie. In this special season finale, Bob delves into his radically different first draft of the film: one that included a time-travelling fridge (that's right, no Delorean) and Marty McFly and Doc Brown running a VHS film piracy operation out of the back of a rundown cinema. They have a pet chimp and there's even a shootout with the US military. The script climaxes with our heroes driving into the mushroom cloud of an atom bomb explosion, rather than using a lightning storm to get back home, as they do in the finished film.
You'll also hear about the elements of Bob's original screenplay that Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg borrowed for Forrest Gump and Indiana Jones 4 respectively. Bob also shares what it's been like working on the musical retelling of the film that recently hit London's West End, and exactly a film this outlandish – in which a teenager goes back in time and almost gets together with his own mother – took over the world.
As for us? Well, we'll be taking a break while we work on some of our filmmaking projects, and generally try to catch a breather. Don’t worry though – we'll be back with season three and some surprises in the near future so don't go anywhere – we are your density, to quote George McFly.
Script Apart is a podcast about the first-draft secrets behind great movies. Each episode, the screenwriter behind a beloved film shares with us their initial screenplay for that movie. We then talk through what changed, what didn’t and why on its journey to the big screen.
Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek, with music from Stefan Bindley-Taylor. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or email us on thescriptapartpodcast@gmail.com.
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