Back to the Future (1985)

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Stars:

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

Top Rated Movies #35 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 25 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 a 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 | time machine | future | time travel comedy | 

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Taglines:

He's the only kid ever to get into trouble before he was born. [UK]

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marty goes back in time to November 5, 1955. The same "time travel arrival date" was used in Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) (November 5, 1877), and Time After Time (1979) (November 5, 1979).

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Goofs

When watching the video from the future in 1955, Doc tells Marty that he needs a nuclear reaction to generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. He then proceeds to partially explain how the Flux Capacitor works before Marty starts rewinding it. This dialogue does not appear earlier in the film. Doc explains why he needs plutonium, but immediately afterwards Marty tells him that "you don't just walk into a store and buy plutonium."

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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

For the video release, "To Be Continued" was added before the closing credits. This title has disappeared from the DVD release.

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Alternate Versions

Digital-era home video releases of the trilogy have some different audio in places, compared to the original VHS/LaserDiscs. One notable difference in the first movie is in Doc Brown's first on-screen line, "Marty, you made it!" It was shouted on those early versions, but is more subdued and calm on DVD and Blu-ray. The original releases were the original theatrical mix, the DVD/Blu-ray features a new 5.1 remix.

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Connections

Spoofed in Alvin & the Chipmunks: Back to Our Future (1990)

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Soundtracks

BACK IN TIME
(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

Gotta get back in time! Get back Marty!

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) **** Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson, Marc McClure, Wendy Jo Sperber. This generation's "It's a Wonderful Life"? Think about it. Very popular and very entertaining sci-fi comedy that made Fox a movie star after success with tv's "Family Ties", casting him, after Eric Stoltz was dropped, as Marty McFly who winds up in a nuclear-powered DeLorean time-machine and is sent back in time to 1955 by his quintessentially eccentric friend Dr. Emmet Brown (Lloyd doing a fine Art Carney). There he meets up with his parents to be and realizes his chance encounters have changed his future and he must see history repeat itself or perish. High-concept hilarity and some truly ingenious schematics thanks to screenwriter Bob Gale and director Bob Zemeckis. Wondering what it would be like to never be born and/or what it would be like if things were different...see what I mean. Oscar-nominated song "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis (who has a fun cameo) fuels this dynamo gem of a film. Classic.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Back to the Future

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,152,500, 7 July 1985

Gross USA:

$211,406,762

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$388,776,253

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 Stereo (35 mm prints) Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1