Scrit-watching: Back To The Future, Part 1

What with it being the 25th anniversary of Back To The Future: Part 1 I figured I'd read the screenplay while watching the movie. Comparing and contrasting a script to its film adaptation was great fun for Dark Knight and I hope I get the same out of it this time.

Within the first five pages of the screenplay two things struck me: This is really different (in terms of events) than the movie, and, This is exactly (in terms of tone and characterisation) like the movie.

While the events in the opening are quite different (there is a scene in the script about McFly's attempt to get out of detention), in the movie than they are on the page much of the tone has clearly come across, take for example this brilliant description of the wicked high school principal when he confiscates Marty McFly's walkman and has it in a vice:

"Marty fidgets uneasily in an uncomfortable wooden chair in the sparse office
as MR. STRICKLAND, a humourless disciplinarian, tightens the vice. Stickland looks 60, but he could be 160 - he was born old and stayed that way, and has been at the school forever."

How brilliant and descriptive is that? Humourless. Disciplinarian. Looks 60 but could be 160. He was born old and stayed that way. Has been at the school forever. All of these are brilliant character descriptions that just fly off the page. Just like the description of the Doc:

"The driver is DR. EMMETT BROWN, about 65. He looks like an old hippie, with shoulder length white hair, Hawaiian shirt, faded jeans, an Indian turquoise around his neck and lively - almost wild - eyes. He's full of energy, full of life, talks fast, and is immediately likeable for his eccentricities." 

The only thing different in the approach to describing Doc than Stickland is the description of what Doc's wearing. He's a more important character and the writers clearly wanted a greater degree of control in how he'd be portayed on screen - but they didn't worry about that with Strickland, a relatively minor character.

This amazing flair for description comes across in its most famous visual:

"The DeLorean keeps accelerating, approaching Marty and Brown. The coils mounted around the car being glowing.

The speedometer hits 85... 86... 87... 88...

The automobile is suddenly engulfed by a BLINDING WHITE GLOW - then, BLAM! It's gone, a TRAIL OF FIRE left in its wake."

This script is really brilliant for character descriptions and tone. It really blew me away and I feel like I've learned a lot.

P.S. I loved the description of one of the lybian terrorists as : "a SWARTHY CHARACTER who resembles Yasser Arafat"