Back to the Future (1985)

A young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Stars:

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

Top 250 #50 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 17 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael J. Fox	...	Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd	...	Dr. Emmett Brown
Lea Thompson	...	Lorraine Baines
Crispin Glover	...	George McFly
Thomas F. Wilson	...	Biff Tannen
Claudia Wells	...	Jennifer Parker
Marc McClure	...	Dave McFly
Wendie Jo Sperber	...	Linda McFly
George DiCenzo	...	Sam Baines
Frances Lee McCain	...	Stella Baines
James Tolkan	...	Mr. Strickland
J.J. Cohen	...	Skinhead (as Jeffrey Jay Cohen)
Casey Siemaszko	...	3-D
Billy Zane	...	Match
Harry Waters Jr.	...	Marvin Berry

Storyline

Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love - so he can get back to the future.

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Plot Keywords:

time travel | delorean | year 1985 | high school | time travel comedy | 

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Taglines:

He was never in time for his classes . . .Then one day he wasn't in his time at all.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official DVD site Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Retour vers le futur

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£461,194 (UK) (1 October 2010)

Gross:

£461,194 (UK) (1 October 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints) (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael J. Fox and Crispin Glover appeared together in the January 5, 1984 episode of Family Ties (1982).

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Goofs

When Marty is "hitching a ride" on the back of a jeep, he passes the aerobic center (formerly Lou's Diner) three times. Each time is a different angle.

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Quotes

[first lines]
1985 radio announcer: October is inventory time, so right now, Statler Toyota is making the best deals of the year on all 1985-model Toyotas. You won't find a better car at a better price with better service anywhere in Hill Valley. That's Statler Toyota in downtown Hill Valley.

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Crazy Credits

The character Marty McFly is credited as a performer on the song "Johnny B. Goode". It is actually sung by Mark Campbell with a guitar solo by Tim May.

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Connections

Featured in Edición Especial Coleccionista: E.T. el Extraterrestre (2014)

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Soundtracks

THE POWER OF LOVE
(1985)
Performed by Huey Lewis & The News (as Huey Lewis and The News)
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records, Inc.
Written by Huey Lewis and Chris Hayes
Published by Hulex Music, Administered by Red Admiral Music, Inc.

User Reviews

The Lost Blockbuster

Back to the Future is one of those rare, almost forgotten, pieces of pop culture that, surprisingly, draws little attention to itself. Unlike such notable gimmicks as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Independence Day, there aren't any low-budget leeches trying to imitate off this work and cash-in on its success. This is due to the near flawless script. Why it didn't win an Oscar, you're guess is as good as mine. Making a time-travel storyline as in this movie that doesn't fall into plot holes the size of Terminator's is exceptionally difficult. I'd know.

The film starts slow, and gradually accelerates as it progresses. You could almost call it a Jerry Bruckheimer movie for kids with Spielberg's trademark nostalgia. The characters themselves are typical stereotypes for a movie like this and none of them, not even Marty himself, gel with potential. In some ways it's as if MAD magazine made the film in an attempt to be serious.

With such an automotive obsession as this film has, one must wonder if George Lucas was involved.

Overall, I have to praise this movie for its inventiveness and originality, even if it created most of our time-travel cliches. 4 out of 5 stars. Well worth your time.