How to Write a Screenplay that’s a Crowd-Pleaser — Back to the Future & the Flat Character Arc
So you want to write a screenplay that will captivate audiences and leave them cheering by the end credits? The key is crafting a compelling story and character arc that keeps viewers hooked from beginning to end. And one of the best examples of how to do this is the iconic film Back to the Future.
The Four Endings – Introducing the “Sweet Ending”
In filmmaking, there are really only four ways to end a story: sweet, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and bitter. In this article, we’re going to focus on the “sweet ending” by examining how Back to the Future masterfully pulls it off.
A sweet ending is one where the protagonist achieves both their external want or goal, as well as their internal need or character growth. It’s an extremely positive finale that leaves audiences cheering and satisfied. But as the Back to the Future screenplay shows, crafting a sweet ending that resonates isn’t as simple as tacking on a happy conclusion.
The Flat Character Arc: When the World Changes Instead
Back to the Future breaks from tradition by featuring a “flat character arc” for its protagonist, Marty McFly. In a flat arc, it’s not the main character who undergoes a substantial personal transformation. Instead, it’s the world around them that changes while they remain steadfast in their values and personality.
As author K.M. Weiland explains, the flat arc protagonist is “the one changing the world around him rather than the world changing the character.” This sets up an unusual dynamic where Marty’s wants and needs revolve around pushing others to evolve, rather than focusing solely on his own growth.
Establishing Marty’s Wants and Needs
From the opening scenes, we understand Marty’s surface-level want is to become a successful musician. But his deeper need is more profound: gaining the confidence and assertiveness that his meek father George McFly lacks.
The real problem isn’t Marty himself but the “cursed” suburban stagnation plaguing the entire McFly household. Marty’s mission becomes upending this dysfunctional status quo and creating a better world for his family.
When Marty accidentally gets sent back in time and witnesses his parents’ first meeting, his want shifts to ensuring they fall in love. But this new external goal is inextricably tied to his internal need of helping his father overcome his insecurities and shaping a more confident version of George.
By fulfilling this need, Marty exorcises his fears of becoming like the man his father was. His wants and needs become one driving force propelling the story forward.
The Payoff: A Sweet Ending Achieved
Through a perfectly choreographed series of events, Marty succeeds in his dual quests. Not only do his parents fall in love, allowing for his existence, but the newfound confidence Marty instills in George ripples outwards.
In the final act, we witness a radically transformed McFly household in 1985—a true happy ending where everything is “great.” George is successful and assertive, Lorraine is free from her vices, and Marty’s siblings are thriving too.
What’s more, having achieved his goal of pushing George to become a better man, Marty can finally embrace his want of being a famous musician without fear or self-doubt. The sweet ending sees him gain both his want and his need within the same climactic scene.
By refusing to change Marty himself and instead focusing his arc on helping others change, Back to the Future ensures the sweet ending feels earned and impactful. It’s not just Marty who evolves, but the entire world around him—a cathartic payoff after the obstacles he’s surmounted.
Writing Tips for a Satisfying Sweet Ending
If you want your screenplay to leave audiences cheering with a sweet ending of their own, keep the following tips in mind:
- Establish clear, relatable wants and needs for your protagonist early on. Their surface wants should drive the plot, while their deeper needs create opportunities for meaningful change.
- Make sure the finale feels earned by putting your hero through a gauntlet of obstacles and reversals. Easy victories breed unsatisfying endings. The sweetness is made all the sweeter by the bitter challenges preceding it.
- Consider using a flat character arc where the protagonist remains steadfast while changing the world around them. It’s a refreshing alternative to the traditional transformation arc.
- Tie the external want and internal need together as much as possible. When achieving one goal facilitates the other, the ending feels holistic and complete.
- Provide a glimpse of how the sweet ending radiates outwards and impacts the wider world. Don’t just focus on the protagonist’s own happy conclusion, but how it improves their circumstances and those around them.
The sweet ending is immensely satisfying when done well. By understanding character wants and needs—and taking notes from a masterpiece like Back to the Future—you’ll be writing a screenplay that sticks the landing and leaves viewers feeling warm and fuzzy until the very last frame.
Conclusion
A truly satisfying screenplay takes audiences on an unforgettable emotional journey, one ideally capped off with an uplifting, cathartic finale. The “sweet ending” exemplified by films like Back to the Future provides this powerful payoff when executed skillfully. By carefully mapping character arcs that feel earned, writers can craft conclusions that leave viewers cheering and eager to revisit the full experience. While difficult to master, a well-executed sweet ending is a crowning achievement – an impactful storytelling moment that resonates long after the credits roll.