Back to the Future - Characters & Cast

Marty's primary motivation is to get back to his own time, 1985. This goal becomes intertwined with the more urgent need to ensure his parents fall in love so that he will be born. He is also driven by a desire to help his friend, Doc Brown, and to see his family in a better situation.

Marty starts as a typical teenager who feels like his family is stuck in a rut. His journey to the past forces him to take on a more active role in shaping his own destiny and that of his family. He learns to be resourceful, brave, and to appreciate his parents on a deeper level. By the end of the film, he has not only saved his own existence but has also inadvertently improved his family's future, demonstrating significant personal growth.

Doc's main motivation is the pursuit of scientific discovery, specifically the invention and successful operation of the time machine. He is also deeply loyal to Marty and is motivated to help him return to 1985 and fix the damage to the timeline.

Doc Brown begins as a brilliant but eccentric scientist who is seen as a bit of a crackpot by the community. His arc in the first film is more about reaffirming his scientific genius and his friendship with Marty. He grapples with the ethical implications of time travel, initially refusing to know about the future. However, he ultimately chooses to use the information from Marty to save his own life, showing a shift in his rigid scientific principles when faced with his own mortality.

George's initial motivation is simply to avoid conflict and be left alone. He has a secret passion for writing science fiction and a crush on Lorraine Baines, but he lacks the confidence to pursue either. Marty's intervention provides him with the motivation to overcome his fears and go after what he wants.

George undergoes the most significant character arc in the film. He starts as a timid, bullied man who is afraid of confrontation. Through Marty's coaching and a pivotal moment of courage, he learns to stand up for himself against Biff Tannen. This act of bravery not only wins him the affection of Lorraine but also transforms his entire future, turning him into a confident and successful author.

Biff is motivated by a desire for power and control over others, particularly George and Lorraine. He is arrogant, aggressive, and not particularly intelligent, relying on physical intimidation to get his way.

Biff's arc is the inverse of George's. He starts as a dominant and intimidating bully who gets whatever he wants through aggression. By the end of the film, in the altered 1985, his power has been stripped away, and he is reduced to a subservient and somewhat pathetic figure who works for George McFly. His defeat is a direct result of George's newfound courage.