Back to the Future screenwriter clears up plot hole after years of debate

Time travel is always a very difficult plot point write into any story, as intersecting pasts, presents, and futures all end up entangled.

The Back to the Future movie franchise has famously had to wrestle with this particular problem in its script. And now Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale has explained what many fans have believed to be a large plot hole in the film.

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The debate reignited from a trend on Twitter called 'Five Perfect Movies'. This is where users post five movies that they would love to watch in lockdown together.

However, the trend has resulted in some old plot points from the Back the Future movies resurfacing, and it has sparked quite a debate, specifically on what exactly constitutes a 'perfect movie'.

Among those to weigh in on the debate was Marvel director James Gunn, who directed Guardians of the Galaxy.

He said that a 'perfect' movie is something which 'sings from start to finish'. It should also not have any obvious mistakes whether those are technical or aesthetic.

In a bold move, he went onto say that his 'perfect' movie is in fact Back to the Future.

The Guardians of the Galaxy director explained: "Back to the Future SEEMINGLY could be imperfect (why don’t Mom and Dad remember Marty?), but I would still argue it’s a perfect film because there are reasons why this could conceivably be the case (time protects itself from unraveling, etc). Or maybe I’m in denial. Who knows.”

However, it seems that this viewpoint was not exempt from some controversy.

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Star of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World Chris Pratt replied: "Maybe they do remember him tho, not as Marty, as Calvin. When Marty returns to present day 1985, it could have been years since his parents would have perhaps originally noted the uncanny resemblance between their son and that kid from high school 20 years previous.”

The plot hole of course, is how do Marty's parents not remember him introducing them when they were teenagers?

Screenwriter Bob Gale finally cleared up the apparent contradiction, highlighting that they only met Marty for a few days when they were teenagers.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: "Bear in mind that George and Lorraine only knew Marty/Calvin for eight days when they were 17, and they did not even see him every one of those eight days. So, many years later, they still might remember that interesting kid who got them together on their first date."

And if the choice is between 'our son travelled back in time' and 'that kid just looks like him', then most people would probably go for the seemingly more plausible option.