Oct. 25 Is ‘Back to the Future’ Day: A Celebration
This sci-fi-adventure-comedy inundated the American cultural lexicon and is also one of the best films ever made. Steven Spielberg produced, after all.
Today—Oct. 25th—is “Back to the Future” Day! That quintessential summer blockbuster movie (1985) has been rereleased in movie theaters. It’s also currently a Broadway show. Nothing says you’ve become a national treasure in America better than being on Broadway.
“Back to the Future” was not only an instant classic for the ages, but kicked off a successful trilogy of classic movies about time travel. This sci-fi/adventure/comedy inundated the American cultural lexicon, and is also one of the best films ever made. Steven Spielberg produced it, after all.
Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) looks at the flux-capacitor diagram he made 30 years prior, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Is there any American by now, who hasn’t heard of a flux capacitor? Or know the names Marty McFly, Doc Brown, and Biff? Who doesn’t know that the real reason Chuck Berry got famous is that he copied guitar licks he overheard, from his cousin Marvin Berry pointing a telephone at a short white high school kid onstage, who traveled back in time from 1985 to 1955 and is playing “Johnny B. Goode” at the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance, that he learned on the guitar in ‘85, by listening to Chuck Berry? You didn’t know that??? How can you not know that???
Marvin Berry calls his soon-to-be-famous cousin on the phone, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
“Back to the Future” brought two different generations together, and was the first film set up by Amblin Entertainment at Universal that was not directed by Spielberg.
Never Gets Old
(L–R) Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Jennifer Parker (Claudia Wells), and Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) ready to take off, back to the future, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Having seen it countless times, I thought I’d hit the highlights (using the DVD I own) and brush up on it for this review, since I pretty much know it by heart. Couldn’t do it. Had to savor it yet again.
What I noticed this time around, though, was that, while director Robert Zemeckis had tons of fun contrasting the ‘80s with the ’50s, and the movie is generally some of the best fun you can have at the movies, “Future” perfectly demonstrates the subversive, under-the-radar agenda of Soviet communism to undermine American culture—not gonna write that treatise here, but it’s something bear in mind while watching it.
"Great Scott!" Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) thinks to himself, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Much like the versions of Bedford Falls in Frank Capra’s “It’s a wonderful life,” the small California town of Hill Valley, that is the setting for both the ‘55 and ’85 portions of the “Back to the Future” narrative, is a witty catalogue of changing American values. For example, in ‘55 the movie theater was showing “Cattle Queen” starring Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck. In ’85, there’s a triple-X-rated porn movie called “Orgy.”
Script
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) tries to get his bearings in the Hill Valley of 30 years before, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
The script is a model of cleverness: A modern teen (Michael J. Fox, who was brought in to replace Eric Stoltz, who wasn’t nailing the comedy,) finds himself transported by a time-traveling machine that neighborhood crackpot- inventor Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) built on the chassis of a gullwing DeLorean, to the year 1955.
This was at the dawn of creation, when rock ‘n’ roll was just emerging from the outré funk of “race music,” and America’s detrimental (Soviet-influenced) infatuation with teen culture was on the rise.
(L–R, foreground) Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Biff Tannen (Tom Wilson), and George McFly (Crispin Glover) in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Young Marty McFly finds himself in an interesting fix: He’s stumbled upon a key moment in his own history: the moment when his teenaged mom and dad fell in love. Except that he inadvertently causes a glitch in the time-space continuum.
It slowly dawns on George McFly (Crispin Glover, R) that the new kid in town (Michael J. Fox) is staring at him, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
He bumps his proto-Dad (the inimitable Crispin Glover) out of the way at precisely the wrong (or right) moment. Which causes his proto-Mom (not the wobbly, puritanical drunk of 1985, but the vivacious, alluring young nymph, personified in both guises by the fabulous Lea Thompson (who plays the 1985 version of Marty’s mom under 20 pounds of make-up, lending a nostalgic, high school class play feel to the movie) to fall for her future son instead. It’s Lorraine’s sly lustiness that makes Marty’s flailing terror to avoid her clutches, all the more hysterical.
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) comes to the horrifying realization that the clueless, younger, and very attractive version of his mother is sweet on him, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Can you say Giant Oedipal Complex? It’s the reason Walt Disney Pictures originally passed on the screenplay, which is completely ironic considering what Disney’s promoting these days.
The Dilemma
So the central issue of the movie is that Marty must get back to the same 1985 he left. If he fiddles around too carelessly with history, he may erase himself from it altogether. In other words, having stepped between his mom and dad at the key moment, he’s now got to contrive another way for them to meet. And this is very, very tricky!
Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) says to Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) "Look! There's a rhythmic ceremonial ritual coming up!", in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Because if Marty’s mom was a peach back in the day, George McFly is an Ichabod Crane archetype; an über-geek with a voice like the dying wheeze of a blasted duck. Glover’s George McFly is probably the most adorable depiction of adolescent klutziness ever portrayed onscreen.
Favorite George McFly Scenes
George McFly asks Lorraine Baines to the "Enchantment Under The Sea" dance, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Since we’re on the topic of George, it’s really Glover’s performance that owns the entire movie, for me. Who can forget the scene where Marty has coached dad-George to ask mom-Lorraine to the dance, and George—bolstering himself with a chocolate milk, slid down the bar to him like a shot of whiskey in a Western saloon, his heart palpitating, goes over to Lorraine’s booth where she’s sitting with her besties, and says (while side-eying his crib notes):
George McFly: “Lorraine, my density has brought me to you.”
Lorraine Baines: “What?”
George McFly: “Oh ... what I meant to say was ...”
Lorraine Baines: “Wait a minute, don’t I know you from somewhere?”
George McFly: “Yes. Yes. I’m George, George McFly. I’m your density. I mean ... your destiny.”
Which causes Lorraine to go “Awwww!” (and also caused the Crispin Glover fan club to forever immortalize him as “Mr. Density”).
Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) is charmed by George McFly's desperate, chocolate-milk-fueled, courageous, and heart-warming declaration of love, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Also, further regarding George, I read a statement a couple of years ago by a woman (can’t remember her name; might have been Karen) objecting to Marty catching his younger dad up a tree, literally out on a limb, with a pair of powerful binoculars, peeping in a window where a lady is in her bra and 1950s’ high-waisted panties.
George McFly giving in to temptation and trying oggle a bare-naked lady with some binoculars, not realizing his disgusted future son has caught him in the act of being a peeping Tom, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
This is unacceptable, dangerous stalking behavior!!! Karen shrieked, to no one in particular. Now, I’m pretty sure Kancel-Kulture Karen never had a 14-year-old son. Because if word gets out in a small town that Mrs. So-and-So can be seen changing her clothes at such-and-such time, there’ll be a whole army of young teen boys up a tree, with binoculars. Testosterone, as we know, is no longer popular with segments of society in this day and age, which is why Bud Light is doing so well. Unfortunately, humor continues to elude the Karens of the world entirely.
Of course, I’m contradicting myself here, and Karen is partially right. What happened to America’s morality? No, no, it’s true—boys shouldn’t actually be up trees, peeping at bare-naked ladies. And then falling out of trees and running away. But it sure is funny.
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) makes sure his future dad, George (Crispin Glover), will court his future mom by pretending to be the type of sci-fi creature from outer space George likes to write about, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
One more favorite scene: When George declares that nobody, including Marty (nor anybody from this planet!) can make him ask Lorraine to the dance, Mary, at 1:30 a.m., wearing his yellow time-travel plutonium-hazmat suit, sneaks in George’s bedroom window, puts earphones over his sleeping future-dad’s ears, slips a Van Halen tape in his Walkman, and cranks a screaming, whammy-bar-heavy, guitar solo that Eddie Van Halen agreed to perform, specifically for the movie.
Next day, George comes tearing after Marty, desperate for assistance in asking Lorraine to the dance. “What made you change your mind?” George: Darth Vader came down from the planet Vulcan and told me if I didn’t ask Lorraine to the dance he’d melt my brain!!!
Big Bully Biff Tannen (Tom Wilson) being caught red-handed, trying to force himself on Lorraine Baines, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Nutshell
Will George succeed? Will Marty manage to avoid being mauled by Biff Tannen (Tom Wilson), the best-ever portrayal of a classic high school bully? Will Lorraine avoid sexual assault by Biff in the back of that cream-colored ‘49 Packard? Will George McFly punch Biff’s lights out and win Lorraine’s heart?
George McFly (Crispin Glover) takes serious issue with Biff, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
Will Marty—substituting for Marvin Berry on guitar (who cut his hand) at the Enchantment-Under-The-Sea Dance—do a spectacular and hilarious compilation/medley of rock star guitar-hero antics onstage, descending from Chuck Berry’s duck-walk to the manic, stage-writhing madness of metal and thrash, only to suddenly realize he’s left the entire auditorium aghast, and then in the dead silence croaks out, “You’re not ready for that … but your kids will love it.”
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) shocks the high school dance with music that hasn't been composed yet, in "Back to the Future." (Universal Pictures)
You know the answer. But your maybe kids don’t! So catch “Back to the Future” on Back to the Future Day, on the big screen!
Movie poster for "Back to the Future."
‘Back to the Future’
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Tom Wilson
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Re-release Date: Oct. 21 and 25, 2023
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Mark Jackson is the chief film critic for The Epoch Times. In addition to the world’s number-one storytelling vehicle—film, he enjoys martial arts, weightlifting, Harley-Davidsons, vision questing, rock-climbing, qigong, oil painting, and human rights activism. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by a classical theater training, and has 20 years’ experience as a New York professional actor, working in theater, commercials, and television daytime dramas. He recently narrated the Epoch Times audiobook “How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World,” which is available on iTunes and Audible. Mr. Jackson is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
