DAY 19: MY FAVOURITE FILM QUOTE OF ALL TIME

The film: Back To The Future Part 2

The year: 1989

The character: Dr. Emmett Brown aka Doc

The quote: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

I’ve never really been a fan of science fiction and/or fantasy movies, which is why it’s interesting that I’ve maintained that Back To The Future remains my favourite movie of all time.

I believe a good fantasy or sci-fi flick should do the following:

·      Pander to a common, simple, ingrained human fantasy, fear or desire and bring it to life

·      Not use complexity as a substitute for great storytelling or imagery

·      Contain enough of a human element so as to make the fantasy appear authentic which, yes, sounds like a juxtaposition

I find that modern fantasy movies are packed full of mind-blowing visuals, impossible to comprehend special effects, convoluted storylines and often set in otherworldly, eerie locations far removed from our own realities, all to the extent that it just becomes too much for my brain to compute.

Another classic that springs to mind for its raw simplicity is Jaws – it’s about a big shark that eats people. It couldn’t be any clearer in its intentions, and that’s why it became such a success.

Back To The Future, in essence, promised the thrill of time travel and flight (at least, flying cars), a fantasy far more enthralling, relatable and intrinsic to most human beings than attending Hogwarts School Of Magic or intercepting people’s dreams.

I was around five or six when I watched Back To The Future for the first time, and I was transfixed by these fantasies coming to life (and of course, the beautiful DeLorean sports car). Still, it took me many more years and repeat views of the trilogy to connect the dots of the incredible script – despite that, the basic premise was clear enough to soak up the magical experience of the film without endless head-scratching.

But back to that quote: I’ve always enjoyed Part 2 of Back To The Future the most, the instalment whereby the Doc and Marty McFly travel into the future. It began with the iconic scene of the DeLorean rising up off the ground in a typically ‘80s neighbourhood, and Marty questioning whether the Doc shouldn’t back up a bit more for more space to accelerate – this is when the Doc replied with “roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”.

Simple, dramatic and the ultimate scene-setter for the rest of this film, it’s one of many moments in the film (and few in my life) where I felt like a certified sci-fi junkie and allowed myself to buy into a story that’s pretty much implausible. 

It's a quote that goes hand-in-hand with my childhood, and ranks right up there with believing in Father Christmas as something that got my heart racing and my eyes bulging with excitement - and thank goodness for that.

PS: The Doc and Marty travel to the year 2015 in Back To The Future Part 2 – have you ordered your hoverboard yet?