Name: ______Date:______Period: ______Film Study 2 / Ms. Jones

During the Film 1. What motif is established early in the film and how is it established?

2. How much information regarding the plot is provided in the opening credits of the film?

3. What examples of product placement can you notice throughout the film?

4. Notice the relationship between Mr. Strickland, the administrator, and Marty. Describe the relationship between the two. How is the camera used to portray this relationship?

5. What is Marty’s dream? How and why is it thwarted?

6. How is the theme song for the film, “The Power of Love,” used to underscore the movie?

7. What examples of foreshadowing are evident in the film? What hints do they allude to later?

8. How does Biff act as the antagonist of the film? List all of the many, many reasons that the audience is told not to like this character. Fully describe his characterization.

9. How are costumes used to represent the characteristics of the characters? For example, note Marty’s family’s costumes before and after his trip through time. How do they change?

10. What is George’s dream? What prevents him from living his dream?

11. What advice does Doc teach Marty, which Marty later teaches George?

12. Describe Lorraine’s hypocritical beliefs. What does she tell Marty about Jennifer about how a girl should behave?

13. What would have happened if Marty made contact with Doc and him after he travels back to 1985 to warn Doc about the Libyan attack?

14. How does Marty’s travel through time affect his family?

After the Film 15. What lessons does Marty learn as a son about his parents? What morals or themes does Back to the Future teach adolescents about parents?

16. Back to the Future is over 30 years old, and it is a product of 80s culture. Does the film still “work” today or is Back to the Future (pun intended) timeless?

17. Critics of Spielberg-produced films claim that he “dumbs” down his films so much and that he is “sentimental, calculated and devoid of ideas” (Slade). Fans say that he’s a liberal humanist who is a “skillful manipulator of the audience’s emotions” (Slade). Defend either position based on your viewing of Back to the Future.

18. Explain how each of the following themes applies to Back to the Future.

a. One person can change the course of human history.

b. Technology has the potential for good and bad, and it can be misused – even accidentally.

c. The actions of one person can have vast consequences and drastically change one’s life.

d. Adolescents and parents were all teenagers at one point, and both share more in common than they think – despite the age gap that may exist.

e. Fate can only take one so far; it’s up to that person to make it happen.

Conflict Review Directions: Review the difference between external conflict and internal conflict. List what type of conflict and state what type of conflict is present (e.g. man vs. self) for each question below and state why that conflict is fitting. For some questions, multiple answers may be possible.

1. What conflict describes the main problem that Marty faces (Hint: It’s the title of the movie)?

2. Mr. Stradlater tells Marty, “No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley.” What conflict addresses Marty’s fear that he, a McFly, will never amount to anything?

3. What conflict addresses Marty trying to convince his mom to love George instead of him?

4. What conflict addresses Marty’s quest to bring his parents together and convince them to fall in love with each other?

5. What conflict addresses Marty and Doc’s decision on whether or not they should intervene and disrupt the “natural process” of time?

Character Archetypes Review Directions: List the character archetype for each character and briefly explain why the archetype works. 1. Marty McFly

2. Doctor Emmett Brown

3. Lorraine Baines McFly

4. George McFly

5. Biff Tannen

6. Jennifer Parker

Plot Diagram Review

Plot Diagram Review Directions: Below are screenshots from the film. Organize them along the plot diagram below by writing the scene letter above each scene. Each scene introduces, states, or solves a conflict in the movie.

A B C

D E F

G H I

J K L

M N