Film #2: Free Will in Back to the Future
George Kisses Lorraine
George’s decision to turn back around and kiss Lorraine was a decision that shows free choice and will. You may argue, "well maybe it was always going to happen (determined) that George would kiss Lorraine". However, if we look at the photograph of Marty and his siblings, we can see that it wasn’t ever determined that George would do this.
As George is pushed aside by a red-headed boy we see Marty grow weak. He looks at the photograph and just like his siblings who have already completely disappeared from the picture, he is beginning to fade way. At this point in time, reality is on a set course of George and Lorraine not getting together (and Marty ceasing to exist).
Suddenly, George pushes the red-headed kid down and take Lorraine in his arms and kisses her. Marty pops right up and continues playing the guitar. He looks back at the photograph and his siblings reappear. Reality is now to follow the course that George and Lorraine end up together.
George Punches Biff
Marty comes up with a plan to help George get with Lorraine. The plan is that Marty will "take advantage" of Lorraine and then George will "rescue" he by fighting off Marty. However, the plan goes awry when Biff actually takes advantage of Lorraine. George is caught off guard, not expecting Biff and freezes, not sure whether to just leave or fight off Biff.
This is similar to George deciding to kiss Lorraine because we can use the changing photograph to prove that there is the possibility of two different futures, which must mean that George was not determined to punch Biff. He could have cowered away, which would have resulted in the Mcfly siblings disappearing. However, since he ended up punching Biff in the face, Marty's sister was able to reappear in the picture.
“If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything”
When Marty first encounters George in 1955, though George writes sci-fi novels, he says he would never show them to anyone because he doesn’t want to face rejection. Due to his lack of self-confidence, the original 1955 George continues to be this way in the original 1985.
This changes though when Marty tries to coach up George to make a move on Lorraine. Marty tells George, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything”.
At the end of the movie we see George has taken Marty’s advice and has published his own science-fiction book. Furthermore, he is no longer pushed around by Biff in the new 1985, unlike in the old 1985. George then reminds Marty the same thing he was told by Marty 30 years previous. By there being two different 1985s means that there was a freedom in choice because the future changed based on the decision for George to be confident or not.
The quote implies that we have the power to do what we want. In other words, the choices and actions we take depend on ourselves. When George didn’t believe in himself, he ended up living a sad life in the original 1985. However, once he gained confidence in himself and “set his mind to it” he lived a great life in the new 1985. Marty was the one who told George that he has to believe in himself to make something happen, but George himself was the only one to be able to make something happen.
The quote implies that we have the power to do what we want. In other words, the choices and actions we take depend on ourselves. When George didn’t believe in himself, he ended up living a sad life in the original 1985. However, once he gained confidence in himself and “set his mind to it” he lived a great life in the new 1985. Marty was the one who told George that he has to believe in himself to make something happen, but George himself was the only one to be able to make something happen.
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