Stoltz BTTF Footage on CNN.com
- Thread starter jcoffman99
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Back to the Future - NYTimes.com
Also on NYTimes
Also on NYTimes
AT-AT Luvah
Sr Member
I think Bob Gale said it best in an interview I read where he stated (and I'm paraphrasing as I don't recall where I read this), that even though fans are clamoring to see the Stoltz footage, it makes him look bad, it makes them look bad, etc. I think it's interesting to see these snippets and to take a look at what is undoubtedly fascinating history on this film, but to belabor the point beyond these short clips is pretty cruel to Stoltz.
In the CNN clip Zemeckis says that Stoltz was a good actor but didn't have the comic sensibilities that he and Bob Gale were looking for when they wrote it.
Ah! So Stoltz was "miscast".
From Wiki:
"Initially the role of Marty McFly was offered to singer Corey Hart but he declined and Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly when Michael J. Fox was busy filming the TV series Family Ties. However, during filming Stoltz and the filmmakers decided that Stoltz was miscast, so Fox was approached again and he managed to work out a timetable in which he could give enough time and commitment to both; the subsequent recasting meant the crew had to race through reshoots and post-production to complete the film for its July 3, 1985 release date."
Seriously? Corey Hart?
From Wiki:
"Initially the role of Marty McFly was offered to singer Corey Hart but he declined and Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly when Michael J. Fox was busy filming the TV series Family Ties. However, during filming Stoltz and the filmmakers decided that Stoltz was miscast, so Fox was approached again and he managed to work out a timetable in which he could give enough time and commitment to both; the subsequent recasting meant the crew had to race through reshoots and post-production to complete the film for its July 3, 1985 release date."
Seriously? Corey Hart?
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PHArchivist
Master Member
Sorry Eric, but you would have been lethal to the success of the film...
Fascinating that one of the greatest sequences in film history (the DeLorean reveal and subsequent chase) was (at least partially) a rushed re-shoot.
My two favorite moments from the sequence:
1.) Fox's delivery of the line "You built a TIME MACHINE!? Out of a DeLorean...!?"
2. Lloyd's demanding and inquisitional glance at Fox as "Marty" is side-stepping away from "Doc" while lined up right in the path of the on-coming DeLorean; and of course Fox's meek response, nervously stepping back
Fascinating that one of the greatest sequences in film history (the DeLorean reveal and subsequent chase) was (at least partially) a rushed re-shoot.
My two favorite moments from the sequence:
1.) Fox's delivery of the line "You built a TIME MACHINE!? Out of a DeLorean...!?"
2. Lloyd's demanding and inquisitional glance at Fox as "Marty" is side-stepping away from "Doc" while lined up right in the path of the on-coming DeLorean; and of course Fox's meek response, nervously stepping back
You and I must think alike as those are two of my vary favorite bits from the movie! :lol
Here's some more inside info on the change in actors:
Eric Stoltz - Futurepedia - The Back to the Future Wiki
dropshipbob
Master Member
Hey, he does wear his sun glasses at night.:cool
But how on Earth did Stoltz get so far as actually having scenes shot before they figured out it wasn't working? Didn't they have him come in, read some scenes with the other actors to see if it all worked out before this??
This is sadly nothing new in the show business. Some actors get deleted, replaced, and even retconned out of existence in following installments. Did you know that Captain Janeway was played by a different actress? While it may be cruel to Stoltz, this was a very important moment in the making of the film and to not tell the story would be robbing a crucial element on how a lot of films are made. That element being the one where you have to make hard, soul crushing decision that are not easy to get over. What makes Back to the Future glorious and tragic at the same time is that they were absolutely 110% right in their decision to go with Michael J. Fox. Stoltz is a great actor, but the film would have been very different.
If you want to talk about cases like this that were made for reasons that are wall banging stupid, just play StarCraft and it's expansion pack Brood War and tell me that Blizzard wasn't just thinking about dollar values when they replaced Glynnis Talken Campbell who voiced their most signature villain for StarCraft 2.
Westies14
Master Member
It does happen pretty often, and thankfully works out really well sometimes! Another favorite of mine is the recasting of Aragorn. Stuart Townsend originally had the role for the Lord of the Rings movies. He was the actor that got to go down to New Zealand early and spend months with the rest of the cast, bonding and preparing for the films. At the eleventh hour, they decided he was too young and called in Viggo Mortenson... Not only was he perfect for the role, but it also mirrored and fed the story on-screen. The hobbits were best of friends when filming started, but they were inherently resentful of the new Strider/Aragorn. As they worked with Viggo, they grew to love him and realized that he was the right person for the part.
I certainly agree that Stoltz does have a better resemblance with Glover, but It takes a lot more than that to bring present character that's more interesting and comedic that Back to the Future required. Looks aren't the only thing that sells a character, and when they had Michael J. Fox in the role, he not only delivered the performance, he also delivered much better looks as well. Look at the size of him! He's short compared to Eric!
While we're on the subject of replacements, why was Marty's girlfriend replaced with Elizabeth Shue? Not that I'm complaining. Woof!!! 
In the commentary in the box set i have part of it was the original actress was taller than Fox and they didn't like how it looked, at least that's what i remember. Haven't seen it in a while so i could be wrong. I'd love to see more of the Stoltz footage just as part of the movie's history.
Vaderman
Sr Member
The original actress who played Marty's GF stopped acting for a while, to take care of her mother who had cancer. I just recently saw her on something, talking about it.
Shue did a great job with the role, of course and balanced Fox's frenetic activity very well. But, at the time, I remember being disappointed when first seeing it was a different actress.
The similarities between Glover and Stoltz make them seem like a much better "genetic" fit as Father and Son, but it's clear that Stoltz was playing much more seriously and studying things (probably more realistically.)
MJF's comedic timing made those movies what they were though and while Stoltz might have also been a very good Marty, I seriously doubt they would have had the same success and I am so happy with the way they turned out!
It's always fascinating to see footage like this though, like the scenes of Luke on Tatooine. You can totally understand why they were cut, but still very entertaining to see them.
Shue did a great job with the role, of course and balanced Fox's frenetic activity very well. But, at the time, I remember being disappointed when first seeing it was a different actress.
The similarities between Glover and Stoltz make them seem like a much better "genetic" fit as Father and Son, but it's clear that Stoltz was playing much more seriously and studying things (probably more realistically.)
MJF's comedic timing made those movies what they were though and while Stoltz might have also been a very good Marty, I seriously doubt they would have had the same success and I am so happy with the way they turned out!
It's always fascinating to see footage like this though, like the scenes of Luke on Tatooine. You can totally understand why they were cut, but still very entertaining to see them.
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