Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is a vocabulary gap: slang that means serious in the 1980s is a physics question in 1955. Doc's gravity quip made the word a running gag across the trilogy. Fans still say 'heavy' in a Marty drawl whenever a situation turns serious.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Back to the FutureShow the scene
Back to the Future, 1985. In 1955 Marty and Doc Brown go to Hill Valley High to check on Marty's parents. Just before, Marty tells Doc "this sounds pretty heavy" and Doc answers that weight has nothing to do with it. In the hallway Doc sees Lorraine swoon over Marty rather than George and tells Marty his mother is infatuated with him. Marty says "Whoa, this is heavy" and Doc asks if there is a problem with the Earth's gravitational pull in the future.
Sources (2)
- Futurepedia: Back to the Future transcript1955 school scenes, hallwayReference checked
- Futurepedia: This is heavyHistory; behind the scenesReference checked
Context reviewed
