February Review: Back to the Future (1985) (Patreon)

We have to go back! To the end of the movie where they say two of the most famous lines from this movie all at once. But while we wait for that timely lightning strike, let's talk about 80s classic Back to the Future (1985).

A testament to the blockbuster know-how of director Robert Zemeckis and riddled with the fingerprints of executive producer Steven Spielberg, Back to the Future (1985) might be the single most 80s film to be largely set in the 50s. Led by the unlikely duo of teen rocker Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and eccentric nuclear scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) the film sees our heroes setting the standards for time travel, and promptly breaking all those rules.

Starting in 1985, after a mishap and tragedy, Marty is DeLoreaned back to 1955. Desperate to return home, he nearly causes himself to never be born and must team up with the 50s version of his Doctor buddy to make it to the 80s. The short answer? They succeed and Marty finds himself back in the future. But the details of the plot are not where this movie shines. It's the time travel.

Back to the Future (1985) gives you exactly the information you need to understand the rules of time travel. Sure, you could try and examine it closer and question the mechanics of changing the future, but while watching the film you have everything you need to comprehend the stakes Marty faces. He needs power to run the machine, he can control when he goes to, and if his parents don't get together, he doesn't exist. It's deceptively simple for dealing with an idea that can easily skew complex.

Similarly complex and simple is the casting, which largely leans into Micheal J. Fox simultaneously looking at home in a mall and the 1950s.Christopher Lloyd also, is so eccentric that his elderly Doc barely aging between eras doesn't register to the audience. They are at home no matter what time they're in, making both easy for the audience to attach to as the film changes around them.

Back to the Future (1985) does dip into the easily uncomfortable plot of a mother being into her son, but the film takes great pains to quickly identify not only for the audience, but for Marty, the situation and how bad it is. He goes out of his way to avoid the situation, and it quickly morphs into more of a Parent Trap type plot. While it is a common, justified, critique of 80s films that they handle topics of sexual assault and consent poorly, overall, Back to the Future (1985) takes a surprisingly firm stance against such behaviors. Making them actions only acceptable for the villains and antagonists.

Overall, Back to the Future (1985) is a pleasure to have in class. Clear, fun, and full of nostalgia now for the aesthetics of the 50s and 80s. When so many classics can quickly age poorly, it's refreshing to enjoy a blockbuster of yore without cringing throughout.

8 out of 10 Plutonium Uses