What Makes "Back to the Future" Great.

The film that defined the concept of Time Travel for so many people, "Back To the Future" may seem at first glance as just a science fiction comedy involving the hijinx of Time Travel, but it is, in reality, one of the most defining films of the 80s, of the Sci-Fi genre, and the history of film in general. Marty Mcfly (Micheal J Fox) lives with his underachieving family in the Fictional town of "HillValley". He's father (Crispin Glover) is a coward who frequently lets his boss Biff ( Thomas F Wilson) walk over him and his mother (Lea Thompson) is a depressed alcoholic. He's few senses of escape from his home life is his girlfriend Jenifer (Cladia Wells), and his eccentric scientist friend Doctor "Doc" Emmett Brown ( Crispopher Lyod). When Doc shows Marty he's successful attempt of creating time travel in the form of a DeLorean they are jumped by terrorists and Doc is killed. Marty in an attempt to escape takes the Delorean and accidentally travels back to 1955. He Bumps into both his parents and messes up their first meeting with he's mom falling in love with him instead. Marty then gets a younger Doc's help in getting back to the future and must find a way to get his parents together before he is erased from existence. The thing that makes this film such a masterpiece is its an incredible balancing act. Anyone interested in a career in Screenwriting should definitely see and take notes on this movie. Director and Writer Robert Zemeckis and Co-Writer Bob Gale create a film that has a perfect blend of comedy, thrills, romance, and a surprising amount of heart. The humor aspect of the film is, of course, the main draw of the film and it's done very well. Zemeckis does a great job in exploring how awkward time travel can be and that comes in many of the scenes funniest moments. The scenes with Marty's mom Loraine flirting with him in the past is just the right amount of awkward and a little disturbing for it to be hilarious. The relationship with Marty and his father George is also entertaining with Marty desperately trying to navigate this bizarre love triangle and get his timid dad the confidence necessary to make a move on Loraine. The chemistry between the desperate Marty and the lowly Geroge works very well, Marty even goes as far to say "It's a wonder I was ever born". The comedy also works in highlighting some pretty dark and mature themes the film explores. One of the most prominent themes in not just the film but the whole trilogy is the idea of the more things changes the more they stay the same. That theme is the most interesting in this one though, early in the film when Marty is told by his principle that "No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley", and when Marty is discouraged when his band is rejected for the school "Battle of the Bands" concert Marty contemplates on giving up saying "I don't think I can take that kind of rejection". Later when he travels back to 1955 and comments on George's science fiction stories that he writes, George doesn't allow Marty to read them and repeats Marty's line about being rejected, a lack of confidence that has lead to the pathetic life he has in the future, and Marty realizing that he may be on the same path as his father. George is also bullied by a younger Biff and the future mayor tells him to stand up for himself and that "You let people walk over you now, they'll be walking over you for the rest of your life". Another subtle scene that explores this same idea is when Marty takes Loraine to the dance and she pulls out some alcohol much to Marty's shock and Marty tells her she shouldn't drink because "You may regret it later in life", referring to her alcoholism in the future. So when Marty brings his parents together with his way instead of the way it happened originally, it's a better outcome. Marty gives Goerge the confidence he needs to layout he's tormentor Biff and be seen as the confident man that Loraine wanted in life, and as we see at the end when Marty returns back to his time, George is now a successful author thanks to his confidence and his mother is fit and happy. The film is also an intense race against time that really becomes a nail biter during the latter half of the film when Marty successfully cements he's parent's love when he plays with the local band that leads to the iconic rendition of "Johnny be Good". Then there's the thrilling climax of Marty and Doc trying to get Marty back to the future where everything goes wrong, props to Editors Arthur Schmidt and Harry Kermamidias for creating such an amazing sequence. I would also be a fool to not mention the amazing soundtrack and one of the most iconic scores of all time by frequent Zemeckis collaborator Alan Silvestri. The cast is pitch-perfect with Micheal J Fox and Crispopher Lyod cementing themselves as legends in this movie. Fox is great as the rebellious but also somewhat paranoid protagonist, it's these qualities that make Marty such a great protagonist. The always great character actor Cristopher Lyod's portrayal of Doc Brown is the stuff of legends, in many ways he is the soul of the franchise. Crispin Glover and lea Thompson are also great as both the younger and older versions of Marty's parents despite their young age at the time. Then there's Thomas F Wilson as one of the great movie jerks in Biff, he epitomizes the aspects of the one character you love to hate. Back to the Future seats firmly as a film that is not just an audience favorite, but by filmmakers and snobby film lovers respectively. I'd even say that Back to the future can easily stand toe to toe with films like "The Godfather" and "Citizen Kane" when it comes to the question of what the greatest film of all time is.