Back to the Future writer Bob Gale settles the debate about a potential plot hole from the film. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox as time traveling duo Doc Brown and Marty McFly, the 1985 movie kickstarted the Back to the Future trilogy with sequels Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990). Regarded as a classic, it is also viewed by some as a perfect film, although a specific aspect of it continues to spur debates on whether it's a narrative glitch or not.
In the original Back to the Future, Doc helps Marty return to t0 1985 after he accidentally travels to 1955. While in the past, he encounters his young parents, George (Crispin Glover) and Lorraine (Lea Thompson), and was forced to take on a different name - Calvin Klein. After saving his future father from a car accident, he finds himself in a difficult position when Lorraine becomes infatuated with him, potentially altering the life of the McFlies, and jeopardizing his eventual birth into the world. Fortunately, he's able to make sure that nothing in history changes and got back in his original time period before it's too late.
The potential plot hole some are pointing out is how George and Lorraine didn't notice how much their son resembled Calvin from their teenage years. Now, Back to the Future co-writer Gale provides a solid explanation to THR that may just finally settle this debate once and for all. According to him, since George and Lorraine didn't spend that much time with Calvin, it's possible that they might not even remember the guy, chalking their encounter with him as one of the many experiences they shared before getting married.
"Bear in mind that George and Lorraine only knew Marty/Calvin for six days when they were 17, and they did not even see him every one of those six days. So, many years later, they still might remember that interesting kid who got them together on their first date.
But I would ask anyone to think back on their own high school days and ask themselves how well they remember a kid who might have been at their school for even a semester. Or someone you went out with just one time. If you had no photo reference, after 25 years, you'd probably have just a hazy recollection.
So Lorraine and George might think it funny that they once actually met someone named Calvin Klein, and even if they thought their son at age 16 or 17 had some resemblance to him, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'd bet most of us could look thru our high school yearbooks and find photos of our teen-aged classmates that bear some resemblance to our children."
Gale's explanation makes sense - after all, it's been a while since George and Lorraine encountered Calvin and since then, they went through so much that it just became a blip in their memory. It's also possible that they don't particularly reminisce that experience since it almost hindered them from being together. Some couples tend to shy away from talking about those kinds of instances since it doesn't really have anything to do with their current lives anymore. Doing so could just cause arguments especially if their dynamic is already a bit problematic. All that being said, there's also a chance that the McFlies talked about their days with Calvin considering how odd he was in some instances, perhaps they just didn't realize how much Marty looks like him.
At this point, it's up to each viewer to have their own interpretation of what's really the case regarding this particular Back to the Future talking point. Then again, this small detail shouldn't hinder anyone from fully enjoying the film because it is truly one of the most fun blockbusters ever. There's a reason why many regard it as one of their ultimate movie favorites, director James Gunn even said that it's one of the few perfect ones out there.
Source: THR