Back to the Mystery of the Future Part III (SPOILERS)
 

I was recently made aware of the following as yet unexplained occurance in Back to the Future Part III, a very famous and well-watched twenty year old film: right at the end the Doc's son Verne makes a strange and totally incongruous gesture before the camera pushes in closer. Watch here:



This has GOT to be a mistake. The two most likely explanations I've found are 1) the boy's gesture is a cue for the cameraman to come in closer and 2) the boy is signalling that needs to go and void his bladder (researching this slightly, a lot of people seem to think he's mute). Number 1 seems more likely to me because the timing is spot on.

If 1) is true- why does the cameraman need a cue? Can he not remember the script well enough that he knows when to push in from what the Doc is saying? Was the angle wrong, and the boy's signal should be hidden behind the Doc's elbow?

If 2) is true- how long has the kid been standing there for? How many takes have already been done? If the shot's been done so many times why print the take with the mysterious goof on it.

This has been bugging me since I found out about it for two reasons- one, that I didn't spot it by myself - seems obvious once you've been told. And two, what's the proper explanation?

Small kid = fidgety, especially if they've done multiple takes. There's my explanation!

The kids motion is way too deliberate than a fidget. It definitely seems like he is telling the camera to zoom in, but why would they let the kid signal for that. Isnt that the director or cinematographer's job?

Well, assuming they did a number of takes, the kid probably anticipated the camera movement at that point in time. I imagine out of restlessness and boredom he pretended to have power of the camera movement by making the gesture. He was playing. Pretending he has a superpower or mind control or something.

The pointing at the crotch thing was a bit weird. But kids can be weird.

Pretty positive spindles has it right. Sometimes, things are truly as simple as they seem ;)

Evil clone doc shot Lincoln

The kid just has to pee.

Yeah, speaking from experience in professional filmmaking, it's a mistake. The kid might have been fidgety or had to pee or whatever, but there's no way he's supposed to cue the cameraman. It simply doesn't work like that.

He's probably nervous about the dog looking away from the action and is motioning for it to look towards him. Hey may have been given that responsibility and has treats in his pockets too.

Or perhaps his mom just arrived off camera and he's surreptitiously waving to her. Or his coke dealer.