Back to the Future (1985)

Time-travel, adventure, comedy, love, and science fiction all wrapped into one well crafted, well paced film that can be enjoyable for anyone at any age. After watching the film last night, I really fell in love with it for the first time. I wasn't raised on it like many of my peers, but after 25 years, the film still holds up as a great ride for nearly anyone who watches it.

My favorite aspect of the film is that it is such an optimistic view of time-travel. I feel that every other story involving the subject always has a negative spin on it, such as H.G. Wells "The Time Machine," but Back to the Future actually has a optimistic view on the idea of time-travel. Not only will everything not be worse when you come back to your own time, but everything might be improved and better off because of actions you took to change the time-line. Along with Robert Zemickis' nearly seamless directing, you have special effects that still hold up, and a story that you can completely buy into as a believable concept. As Adam Smith of Empire Magazine said, "if you don't like Back To The Future, it's difficult to believe that you like films at all. "

Story
The film follows Marty McFly and his friend/mentor Doc Brown. Marty is called to a parking lot where Doc says he has a breakthrough with his latest work. McFly films the entire event as he witnesses a DeLorean, with added features such as the flux capacitor, jump through time. Soon after the successful experiment, a group of Libyan terrorist come racing through the parking lot and murder Doc. Marty jumps in the car and goes back to 1955. There he meets his Father & Mother. But he accidentally messes up their chance encounter when he gets hit by his Grandfathers car, instead of his Father. Now his Mother is falling in love with him, instead of his Father, and he has to play matchmaker so his future and his siblings future stays intact. Marty ends up getting his parents to fall in love, which sets the time-line back in place....almost. Instead of him completely messing up the future, he actually makes it better. He makes his Father a stronger person who stands up for himself, and his Mother isn't such a prune on his return to his own time.

Since H.G. Wells classic, "The Time Machine," first hit book shelves in 1895, people have remained fascinated by the concept of time-travel, a term that Wells coined himself. Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (also the producer), wrote the script for Back to the Future many years before it was picked up. It seemed no one wanted the story, and even Disney turned it down for being too "raunchy." It went through many carnations before it reached a greenlight at Universal Studios. One of those early drafts, that would make the movie completely different, had the time machine as a giant laser, then a refrigerator, and then finally they chose the DeLorean.

The story is the strongest part of the film. Somehow Zemeckis & Gale bring you into a situation and make you believe what is happening. This is the golden key to any great science fiction film. If your audience believes or can somewhat believe what is happening in the story line, then your in. As I stated above, the true acheivement of the film is it's optimistic view of time-travel. Which is drastically different from any other time-travel story I've come across. Zemeckis & Gale are somehow able to melt many genres into a melting pot of film deliciousness. It has comedic elements, romance, sci-fi, action, and adventure. And not only does it not feel too packed or haywire, it works from beginning to end. Another film that is a classic for a reason, its f#$%ing great!

Directing
Robert Zemeckis directed a couple mild hits before this, Used Cars & Romancing the Stone. He also wrote the script for the Spielberg directed 1941, but what really pushed his name into the stratosphere was this film. In 1985 it was the most successful movie at the box office, and had nearly all positive reviews. After this he was able to do whatever he wanted, which included Who Framed Roger Rabbit & his Oscar winning directing for Forrest Gump.

His charm, wit, and just plain old good directing is all over this film. Although I wouldn't say that Zemeckis has a strong visual style for all of his films, they are usually great. He like all great directors knows what to show the audience, when they need to see it, and why the need to see. This all pays off for the ending emotional effect, which he knows how to get from his audience. He, like James Cameron, is always a front runner for advancing special effects. This film's SFX still hold up, 25 years later. That is the sign of a true visionary in this realm. Although I think that Zemeckis' work now is drifting from his earlier work (his last two films were A Christmas Carol & Polar Express), he still advances technology in filmmaking to places very few are willing to go.

Acting
The cast of the film truly surprised me this latest viewing, I found them believable, phenomenal, and all perfectly casted. Originally actor Eric Stoltz was cast in the role, after Michael J. Fox had to turn it down due to his television show Family Ties. The production went ahead with Stoltz, and after four weeks of filming, Spielberg (executive producer) and Zemeckis thought Stoltz was playing the character too seriously for a comedy, and was let go. Fox was asked again and accepted the role, thankfully. Michael J. Fox is able to pull off a certain earnestness to Marty McFly. The others of the cast are all perfect, especially the zany and haywire, Christopher Lloyd. He keeps the character grounded, where I can see many other actors going off the wall and being outrageous with it. I think the most surprising performance to me was Crispin Glover. At one end he plays a bumbling George McFly to a confident McFly, which wouldn't seem to easy if someone else had done the role.


I still find Adam Smith's quote the best to sum up the film, "if you don't like Back To The Future, it's difficult to believe that you like films at all. " It can be enjoyable for kids, adults, and everyone in between. It is a film that sits nearly alone for those reasons, because it is easily accessible, seamless, and beyond enjoyable, all wrapped in one.