Are you telling me…it’s been 30 years since this movie came out?
That’s right folks. This week’s Throwback Thursday is a classic in every sense of the word. The movie grossed over $380 million worldwide and spent 11 weeks in the number one spot at the box office. It spawned two entertaining, yet mediocre by comparison, sequels. It made #10 on the American Film Institute’s list of Best Science Fiction Films and was chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress. There’s not a week that goes by that this film isn’t quoted in my home, still, to this very day. Boys and girls, may I present to you… Back to the Future.
First of all, you have to check out the original trailer. Click Here to view. It’s a wonder anyone went to see the movie at all!
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last three decades, Back to the Future tells the story of Marty McFly, a high school student accidentally sent to 1955 in a DeLorean/Time Machine built by his friend, Doc Brown. While there, Marty must seek out the younger Doc Brown in order to find a way back to 1985. Of course, he screws up his parents’ meet-cute and must spend the remainder of the movie trying to undo the ripple effect he has caused before he and his future cease to exist.
I am a sucker for time travel movies. In 1984, I was suitably fascinated and traumatized by the Terminator, which spawned an obsession I carry still. From H.G. Wells to J.K. Rowling, from Doctor Who to Doc Brown, I am all about the wibbly wobbly timey wimey space time continuum. Back to the Future successfully masked a classic science fiction story with a lighthearted , somewhat sexually charged teen-romp. It featured a cast of actors that America adored. It produced not one, but two Huey Lewis and the News tracks. And, it inspired a generation to realize how cool science could be.
At the time the movie was released, I was already nearly three years into my Alex P. Keaton and Family Ties obsession. So, seeing Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future really made my toes curl. Marty McFly still makes me grin from ear to ear, no matter how many times I’ve seen the movie. The film is smart, not only in its use of sci-fi but in its humor. The film also has heart, so much heart. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like this movie (well…maybe one or two names come to mind) but over all, the rest of them all really liked it. Some, like me, loved it. There are a handful of movies from my youth that now, in my 40s, when I hear the orchestration I get goosebumps and begin to smile. Back to the Future is one of those films. I can’t not be happy when I watch it, especially the scene that featured the punch-heard-round-the-world. Oh, McFly…you are my density.
Some of the titles we’ve looked back on thus far have begun to show their age. It is easy to believe that they are 30 years old. But Back to the Future still seems as fresh as it did the day it was released. It stands the test of time, no pun intended. So do yourselves a favor and celebrate this cinematic milestone with me. Make a date this holiday weekend to get back in time and attend the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance so you can check out that new sound you been looking for. Hands down, Back to the Future is one of the greatest films ever made.
Now, I’m gonna make like a tree and get outta here. But you guys be sure and check back next week when we revisit one of my favorite movie westerns, Silverado.