Back to the Future
Back to the Future (1985)
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour...you're going to see some serious shit."
The story in this film is a bit more layered than my brief outline above. While the film is played off mostly as a teen comedy, some serious science fiction-type themes permeate the story. Specifically, however inconsequential they seem, a character's actions in the past can have a direct and sometimes catastrophic impact on the future. While the film's climax focuses on Marty's efforts to get back to his own time, the entire second act and a significant portion of the third focus on his attempts to mend the damage he's done by accidentally preventing his parents from meeting.
Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Marty's efforts are successful, and his parents do end up together, but he still ends up inadvertently changing the future. If this were a serious sci-fi film, like Planet of the Apes, those consequences would be dire, and the world changed irrevocably. However, since we're dealing with a light-hearted comedy, Marty's fiddling with the time stream ends up making his life changed for the better. So does this end up hurting the film? No, I don't think so. It's really the type of ending one expects from a film such as this.
Of course, the major talking point on the internet regarding this movie is the crush that Loraine develops for Marty. Many people view this aspect of the plot as a criticism of the plot because of the cringe factor. I mean, they're not wrong; it is very cringey, but I think that's the point. Loraine doesn't know Marty is her future son. She just senses an unspoken connection with him that she misinterprets as an attraction. I think that's where the disconnect is; many people look at this relationship like they do Jaime and Cersei in Game of Thrones, which is an entirely different beast. To me, the whole thing amps up a good dose of awkward humor, which is a tough thing to do well.
The rest of the laughs in the film come mostly from Marty's various fish out of water scenes as he tries to adapt to life in the 50s, as well as the various characters reacting to Marty and his more modern sensibilities and tastes (weaponized Van Halen being one of my favorite moments). But, all and all, the story here is strong, and it's what makes the film iconic today, some 35 years later.
Acting:
Any discussion regarding this film's acting starts with its star, Michael J. Fox. This is the movie that catapulted Fox's career in the mid-80s, and it's easy to see why. As a character, Marty McFly is kind of hapless, down of his luck and often in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the hands of a lesser actor, it might be easy to turn the character into a bit of a sad sack, but Fox plays Marty as a charming and relatable teenager. It reminds me a great deal of Matthew Broderick's portrayal of Ferris Bueller, which is also a character that can come of as unappealing if played the wrong way. Top marks for Mr. Fox.
Christopher Lloyd was the perfect actor for Fox to bounce off of. While Marty is sincere, Doc Brown is eccentric and a bit of a nut. Lloyd resists the temptation to go full screwball, though there are a few moments; instead, his eccentricities are displayed through various wide-eyed glances and reactions to what's going on around him. Christopher Lloyd really is a gifted comedic actor.
Finally, I have to highlight Crispen Glover's performance as Marty's father, George McFly. Glover plays George so awkwardly that it's almost painful to watch. However, that awkwardness really amps up the comedy as he is just so helpless in social situations that you can't help but laugh at him. He's also really the only character in the movie that has any sort of arc.
The rest of the cast is strong, with great performances from Lea Thompson, as Marty's perennially rebellious mother Loraine; Thomas F. Wilson as the film's antagonist and all-around asshole Biff Tannen and Marc McClure and Wendi Sperber as Marty's frequently unimpressed siblings Dave and Linda. Overall, this is a well-cast film.
Visuals:
The special effects in this film have aged fairly well for the most part. The only thing that looked off to me was the trail of flames caused by the time machine look like they're green-screened. The effects are used only when necessary and amount to a little bit of pyrotechnics and some animated lighting. Also, the production team did a great job making the studio backlot look like a small California town in the 50s.
Music:
The score for this film was composed by the great Alan Silvestri and has to be considered one of the most iconic themes of the 80s, if not of all time. Silvestri really has a talent for fitting the score to the visuals on the screen, and he's fast becoming one of my favorite movie composers. So, of course, I've been whistling the theme constantly since viewing it.
If an iconic score wasn't enough, the film also boasts a solid soundtrack, including modern (for the time) hits like Huey Lewis and the New's Power of Love and Back in Time to oldies like Mr. Sandman (which is not about the Neil Gaiman comic, I checked) and Johnny B. Good. Suffice to say, this film nails the music.
Action:
There's a little bit of action in this film, but not a ton. The biggest action sequence is a chase taking place outside the local diner, where Biff and his goons chase after Marty in their car. The scene is choreographed nicely, and it has a satisfying ending. There's also another chase scene at the beginning of the movie where Marty tries to elude a van full of angry terrorists in the Time Machine. Neither sequence is overly memorable, but they're both done well and don't take away from the movie.
Final Verdict:
Well, it's been 25+ years, and I have to say that this film holds up, and its place among the greatest comedies of all time is well deserved. It's still a fun movie that can be enjoyed by a modern audience and that, thankfully, has not been marred by a late sequel or a reboot attempt. It's a classic, so check it out if you enjoy watching great movies.
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