Original artwork, not a still
I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.
— Back to the Future • 1985
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a punchline about timing: Marty has just handed 1950s teenagers a sound from their own future, and he knows it. The joke works as a shrug, half apology and half boast. Fans use it whenever something is ahead of its audience, from a band's first record to a bold new game, and it sits beside the Chuck Berry phone call as the moment the film's loop closes.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Back to the FutureShow the scene
Back to the Future (1985). On Saturday 12 November 1955, in the Hill Valley High gym, Marty McFly takes the stage with Marvin Berry and the Starlighters at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and plays Johnny B. Goode, a song that will not be written for another three years. He finishes with a wild guitar solo, the dancers stop and stare, and he shrugs off the silence with this line. Marvin has already phoned his cousin Chuck Berry to hear the new sound. Lorraine then tells Marty that George has asked to take her home.
Sources (3)
- Futurepedia: Johnny B. GoodeHistory and Behind the scenesReference checked
- Futurepedia: Back to the Future transcriptJohnny B. Goode scene to Side DoorReference checked
- Futurepedia: Enchantment Under the SeaHistoryReference checked
Context reviewed
