Back to the Future is a 1985 American science fiction movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It features Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. The story takes place in 1985 and follows Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean car built by his eccentric scientist friend, Emmett "Doc" Brown. Marty accidentally stops his future parents from falling in love, which could erase his own existence. He must help them reunite and find a way to return to the future.

Gale and Zemeckis came up with the idea for Back to the Future in 1980. They wanted to make a successful movie after many failed projects. However, studios rejected the idea over forty times because they thought it was not funny enough to compete with other popular comedies of the time. A deal was made with Universal Pictures after Zemeckis’s success directing Romancing the Stone (1984). Fox was the first choice to play Marty but was unavailable, so Eric Stoltz was cast instead. After filming began in November 1984, Zeme

Plot

In 1985, teenager Marty McFly lives in Hill Valley, California, with his mother, Lorraine, who is sad and struggles with alcohol. His older siblings are not successful in their jobs or social lives, and his father, George, is shy and often bullied by his boss, Biff Tannen. After Marty's band does not pass a music test, he tells his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, that he is afraid he might end up like his parents, even though he has big dreams.

That night, Marty meets his friend, Emmett "Doc" Brown, a scientist with unusual ideas, at the Twin Pines mall parking lot. Doc shows a time machine built from a modified DeLorean car, powered by plutonium he took from Libyan terrorists. When Doc sets the time machine to travel to November 5, 1955, the day he first thought of time travel, the terrorists arrive and shoot him. Marty escapes in the DeLorean and accidentally activates time travel by reaching 88 miles per hour (142 kilometers per hour).

In 1955, Marty finds he has no plutonium to return to 1985. While exploring Hill Valley, he meets his teenage father, George, and learns that Biff was bullying him even then. George is hurt by a car while watching his teenage mother, Lorraine, change clothes, and Marty saves him but is knocked unconscious. When he wakes, Lorraine helps him and becomes interested in him. Marty finds a younger version of Doc and explains he is from the future. Doc says the only way to power the time machine in 1955 is with a lightning bolt. Marty shows Doc a flyer from the future about a lightning strike at the courthouse. As Marty’s siblings begin to disappear from a photo he carries, Doc realizes Marty’s actions are changing the future.

Lorraine asks Marty to a school dance, and he tries to make George rescue her by pretending to act improperly, but Biff’s gang traps Marty in a car trunk while Biff harasses Lorraine. George arrives and fights Biff, who hurts Lorraine. George then knocks out Biff and takes Lorraine to the dance. Marty is freed from the car, and he plays guitar in the band after the lead guitarist gets hurt. George and Lorraine share their first kiss. Marty hurries to the courthouse to meet Doc.

Doc finds a letter from Marty warning him about the future and tears it up, worried about the risks. To help Doc, Marty adjusts the DeLorean to return ten minutes before he left the future. Lightning strikes, sending Marty back to 1985, but the DeLorean breaks down. Marty runs back to the mall and arrives as Doc is being shot. While Marty mourns, Doc wakes up, having fixed the letter and worn a bulletproof vest. He takes Marty home and leaves for 2015 in the DeLorean. The next morning, Marty finds his father is now a confident and successful science fiction writer, his mother is happy and healthy, his siblings are successful, and Biff works as a servant for George. As Marty reunites with Jennifer, Doc suddenly returns in the DeLorean, urging them to go to the future to save their children from dangerous problems.

Cast

• Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, a high school student who wants to become a musician.
• Christopher Lloyd plays Emmett "Doc" Brown, a scientist who is unusual and works on time travel.
• Lea Thompson plays Lorraine Baines McFly, a teenager in 1955 who becomes Marty's mother in 1985.
• Crispin Glover plays George McFly, a shy high school student in 1955 who becomes Marty's father in 1985.
• Thomas F. Wilson plays Biff Tannen, a bully in 1955 who becomes George's boss in 1985.

In the 1985 part of the film, Claudia Wells plays Jennifer Parker, Marty's girlfriend. Marc McClure and Wendie Jo Sperber play Marty's siblings, Dave and Linda McFly. Elsa Raven plays the Clocktower Lady. Singer Huey Lewis appears briefly as a judge in the Battle of the Bands contest. Richard L. Duran and Jeff O'Haco play Libyan terrorists.

In the 1955 part of the film, George DiCenzo and Frances Lee McCain play Sam and Stella Baines, Lorraine's parents. Jason Hervey plays Lorraine's younger brother, Milton. Biff's gang includes Jeffrey Jay Cohen as Skinhead, Casey Siemaszko as 3-D, and Billy Zane as Match. Norman Alden plays Lou, the cafe owner, and Donald Fullilove plays Goldie Wilson, Lou's employee and future mayor. Harry Waters Jr. plays Marvin Berry, Chuck Berry's cousin. Will Hare plays Pa Peabody, and Courtney Gains plays Dixon, the boy who interrupts George and Lorraine's dance. James Tolkan plays Principal Strickland, the high school leader, in both 1955 and 1985.

Production

In 1980, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, who had worked together before, created the idea for Back to the Future. They wanted to make a movie about time travel but had trouble making a story that worked. Their previous projects with Steven Spielberg, Zemeckis’s mentor, had not been successful, and they needed a new idea that could work.

After their movie Used Cars came out in 1980, Gale visited his parents and saw his father’s high school yearbook. He wondered if he and his father would have been friends if they had gone to school together. He thought they probably would not have been, but he imagined what would happen if he could travel back in time to when he and his parents were younger. He shared this idea with Zemeckis, who remembered that his mother’s stories about her childhood were sometimes confusing.

Gale and Zemeckis started writing a script in late 1980. They acted out scenes to help plan the dialogue and actions. They wanted their movie to show how changing the past could affect the future, unlike other time-travel films that focused on the past being unchangeable. In their first draft, a character named Professor Brown builds a time machine that sends Marty, his young friend, back to the 1950s, where he accidentally interrupts his parents’ first meeting. In September 1980, Gale and Zemeckis presented their idea to Frank Price, president of Columbia Pictures, who had liked Used Cars and wanted to work with them. Gale said he had to calm Zemeckis down during the pitch so Price could make a decision. They finished the first draft on February 21, 1981, but Price said it needed more work.

Some early ideas were changed. At first, Marty’s actions in 1955 had a bigger effect on the future, making 1985 more advanced, but people who read the script disagreed with this. Marty’s father was also supposed to become a boxer because of a punch he threw at a character named Biff. The time machine was originally a large object moved by a truck. Inspired by a documentary called The Atomic Cafe, the time machine was later written to be powered by Marty driving it into a nuclear explosion and adding Coca-Cola. Gale and Zemeckis wanted the time machine’s creator to be an individual, not a government or company, and they made the time-travel event an accident so Marty would not seem to be trying to gain something.

Gale and Zemeckis used differences between 1955 and 1985 for humor, like Marty wearing 1985 clothes in a 1955 soda shop, where the owner mistakes him for a sailor. They also showed how Marty would miss modern conveniences in 1955. They struggled to write the story because they were in their 30s and did not feel connected to either time period. They were inspired by movies like those made by Frank Capra, The Twilight Zone, and books by Robert Silverberg and Robert Heinlein. Writing the romantic relationship between Marty’s future mother and himself was a challenge. They made Lorraine, Marty’s mother in 1955, end the relationship because she said kissing Marty felt like kissing her brother. Gale joked that no one asked how she could make that comparison, but audiences would accept it. They finished the second draft on April 7, 1981.

Price did not approve the second draft, even though he liked it. He thought it was too tame compared to popular comedies of the time, like Animal House and Porky’s, which had more adult humor. Columbia put the project on hold, and the script was rejected about 40 times by different studios. Some said the idea was not appealing to young people or that other time-travel films had failed. Walt Disney rejected it because Marty fighting off his future mother was too risqué for their brand. The only person who supported the project was Spielberg, but Gale and Zemeckis worried that their previous films with him had not been successful, and another failure might make people think they only worked with him because of their friendship.

Zemeckis took another job, Romancing the Stone (1984), which was a big success. This gave him the confidence to return to Back to the Future. He was upset with the studios that had rejected the project and turned to Spielberg, who had started his own company, Amblin Entertainment, at Universal Pictures. Spielberg did not want to be too involved in the film because he had a bad experience with Price, who had rejected E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Sidney Sheinberg, who became head of Universal, wanted to change the movie’s title to Space Man from Pluto and rename some characters, but Spielberg tricked Sheinberg into not taking his suggestions seriously. Sheinberg later said the story was “bullshit.” The third draft was finished in July 1984, and Gale and Zemeckis had time to update jokes that had become outdated since 1980. A joke about Ronald Reagan becoming president remained because he was re-elected in 1984.

Michael J. Fox was the first choice to play Marty McFly. Gale and Zemeckis thought his acting style in the sitcom Family Ties could work for Marty’s character. Spielberg asked the show’s producer to have Fox read the script, but the producer did not give him the script because Fox was busy with the show. Other actors were considered, including John Cusack and Ralph Macchio. C. Thomas Howell was the final choice for the role.

Design

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created the film’s special effects under the guidance of Ken Ralston and Kevin Pike. The film includes about 27 to 32 special effects scenes, which is much fewer than the 300 such scenes found in similar, higher-budget films from the same time. While working on The Goonies and Cocoon, Ralston took on this project because it required fewer effects and he wanted to include Marty driving the time machine into a nuclear explosion as originally planned. The team had a nine-and-a-half-week schedule, but Universal shortened it to less than nine weeks when they moved up the film’s release date. ILM completed work on Back to the Future just before the film reels were printed for the theater.

The short schedule affected the quality of the special effects. Ralston was unhappy with a scene where Marty’s hand fades away as his future changes. The hand was filmed separately from Fox and combined later. The hand was shot with a wide-angle lens, making it look too large, so it had to be resized. Zemeckis wanted a subtle fade, but the effect showed only a small part of the hand disappearing, and there was no time to fix it. In the same scene, Marty and his siblings fade from a photo. ILM struggled to fade the photo’s details, especially since it was moving on a guitar. A large replica of the guitar neck was built, and the strings were made of thick cable. A large aluminum plate held the enlarged photo. ILM used a version of the photo without Marty and his siblings, then added each character individually. When this failed, four different photos were used: one with the background and one for each McFly sibling. A mechanical camera cycled through the photos and printed them onto film. The enlarged guitar was moved to make the scene look more realistic.

The original ending with the nuclear explosion was too expensive and complex, costing about $1 million. Art director Andrew Probert planned the scene using sets and miniatures. When the ending was changed to the clock tower, ILM studied storms to create the right look. Clouds were made from polyester fiberfill and hung in a net. They were filmed from above while Ralston used a bright light from below. A rheostat was used to quickly change the light’s brightness to mimic lightning.

Wes Takahashi’s animation team created the lightning bolt that hits the clock tower. It was described as the largest lightning bolt in movie history. The footage was filmed too close to the tower, and the bolt was on screen too long, making it look too animated. The number of frames was reduced, but the bolt still looked too calm. Zemeckis chose one frame of the bolt shaped like an "S" and asked the effect to focus on that shape for twenty frames. The bolt was drawn in black ink on white paper, and the optical department added diffusion and a glow.

The DeLorean was designed by Lawrence Paull, working with artist Ron Cobb and illustrator Andrew Probert. The car was meant to look like it was made from common parts. The time machine was first imagined as a stationary object, like a refrigerator, but Spielberg refused this idea, worried children might try to climb into it. Zemeckis suggested the DeLorean because it could move and had a unique design, resembling an alien UFO to a 1950s family. Ford offered $75,000 to use a Mustang instead, but the director said, “Doc Brown doesn’t drive a fucking Mustang.” Michael Fink, hired as the art department liaison, helped build the car based on Cobb’s sketches. Three DeLoreans were bought from a collector: one for stunts, one for effects, and a detailed version for close-ups. The cars were unreliable and often broke down. The speed of 88 miles per hour was chosen because it was easy to remember and looked “cool” on the speedometer.

The flying DeLorean in the final scene combined live-action footage, animation, and a 1:5 scale model built by Steve Gawley and the model shop crew. The transition to time travel was called the “time slice” effect. Zemeckis wanted the scene to feel violent, describing it as a “Neanderthal chipping away at time.” The effect is so fast that it is hard to notice. Zemeckis preferred this because he did not want the audience to think too much about how time travel worked.

Real brand names, like Texaco, were used to make the sets look realistic. The producers required certain brands to be included in exchange for money. A gas company offered a large sum to be in the film, but Texaco was chosen because it reminded the team of a joke from The Milton Berle Show. This led to disputes, such as PepsiCo wanting to remove a joke about its rival, Coca-Cola. Twenty workers were needed to synchronize the clocks in the opening scene, and pulleys were used to start them all at once. Drew Struzan designed the film’s poster, and the producers hoped his artwork would attract more attention.

The film uses a stylized version of 1950s style, more like how it appears on TV than an exact copy. Modern fabrics were used because the designers thought the real 1950s fashion was not interesting. To show characters across three decades, the filmmakers avoided using older actors for younger roles, as the change would be too obvious. Special effects artist Ken Chase tested makeup on young actors to age them. Early results were disappointing. He made a prosthetic neck and a bald cap for Glover but thought they were too extreme. Chase struggled to balance aging the actors and keeping them recognizable.

Casts of the actors’ faces were made, and plaster molds were created from them. Chase added subtle effects using latex over the molds. For Lorraine, he added jowls, eye bags, and body padding to show weight gain and alcohol use. For George, he changed his hairstyle instead of using a receding hairline, and used prosthetics to soften his jawline. Biff’s character changed more, with added weight, sideburns, and a comb-over to hide baldness. Prosthetics, makeup, and lighting were used to age the characters further.

Chase found the work frustrating compared to creating fantastical prosthetics. Rubber latex did not reflect light like real skin, so he used a stippling technique (a pattern of small dots) to blend the prosthetics with the actors’ skin. Close-up shots were avoided. Doc’s appearance was not changed much. Chase painted latex on Lloyd, but removing it caused crinkles.

Release

By June 1985, the movie industry saw a 14% drop in ticket sales compared to the previous year’s record of $4 billion. During the summer (starting the last week of May), 45 films were planned for release, including Rambo: First Blood Part II, The Goonies, Brewster's Millions, Fletch, and A View to a Kill. This 25% increase in film releases worried industry experts, as more films might split audiences and reduce profits. At the time, the average cost to make and market a film had risen to $14.5 million and $7 million, respectively. Hiring popular actors was seen as a risk worth taking. Most films aimed at younger audiences focused on fantasy and the supernatural, often using technology instead of magic. Only a few films, like Cocoon and Prizzi's Honor, targeted adult audiences.

Back to the Future was originally set to release in May 1985 but was delayed to June 21, the earliest director Robert Zemeckis could finish the film. A change in actors caused further delays, pushing the release to July 19 and later to August. Producer Michael Sheinberg moved the release date forward to July 3, giving the film more time in theaters during the most profitable season. This change allowed about 100,000 additional showings, estimated to earn $40 million. Sheinberg also wanted to avoid the negative reputation of films released later in the summer, as major films usually launched earlier. The change required new agreements with theaters to secure screens in a competitive market. In some cities, theaters had to see an unfinished version of the film before agreeing to show it. Test audiences and theater owners described the film as less exciting than E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or Ghostbusters but still expected to be a box office success. Actor Michael Fox could not help with promotion because he was filming Family Ties Vacation in London.

In the U.S. and Canada, Back to the Future had a wide release on July 3, 1985, just before the Independence Day holiday. It earned $3.6 million on its opening Wednesday and Thursday and $11.3 million over its first weekend in 1,420 theaters, averaging $7,853 per theater. It was the top film of the weekend, beating Western Pale Rider ($7 million) and Rambo: First Blood Part II ($6.4 million). The film stayed number one in its second weekend, earning $10.6 million, and in its third weekend, it outperformed the re-release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ($8.8 million) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome ($5.4 million). Although it fell to number two in its fourth weekend, it regained the top spot in its fifth and remained there for eight weeks. Gale, a film executive, noted that the second weekend had higher earnings than the first, showing strong audience word-of-mouth.

The film was a consistent success, earning $155 million by October, surpassing Rambo: First Blood Part II’s $149 million to become the year’s highest-grossing film. It was the top film for 11 of its first 12 weeks and remained in the top 10 highest-grossing films for 24 weeks. By the end of its theatrical run, Back to the Future earned about $210.6 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985. It outperformed Rambo: First Blood Part II ($150.4 million), Rocky IV ($127.9 million), and The Color Purple ($94.2 million). Box Office Mojo estimated over 59 million tickets were sold. Industry experts calculated that the studio’s profit (after paying theaters) was about $105.5 million by 1997.

The year was considered a challenging one for films, as ticket sales dropped 17% compared to 1984 despite a record number of releases. Industry leaders pointed to a lack of originality and an overabundance of films targeting young audiences under 18 as contributing factors. Only Back to the Future and Rambo: First Blood Part II were considered major successes, earning more than twice what Cocoon made. Films with themes of escapism and pro-America messages performed well. After years of poor results, Back to the Future, along with Fletch, Brewster's Millions, and Mask, helped Universal Pictures improve its performance.

Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film earned an estimated $170.5 million, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind Out of Africa ($179.1 million) and Rocky IV ($172.6 million). Globally, Back to the Future earned $381.1 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of Rocky IV ($300.5 million) and Rambo: First Blood Part II ($300.4 million). The film has been re-released multiple times to celebrate anniversaries, including a remastered version in 2010 and 2025. These re-releases increased its worldwide total to between $393 million and $398.2 million.

Reception

Back to the Future received mostly positive reviews from critics. Many reviewers believed it was one of the most enjoyable films of the year because it focused on storytelling rather than just special effects. Paul Attanasio and Gene Siskel said that even though some thought the movie had problems, it surprised people by focusing on a story that felt real and had emotional parts. They, along with Richard Corliss, agreed that the film would last because it had something for both children and adults. Some reviewers, like Corliss and Leonard Maltin, said the film’s long and detailed opening was its weakest part, but the rest of the movie had humor, creativity, and new ideas.

Dave Kehr noted that Gale and Zemeckis were among the first filmmakers influenced by television, and their inspirations were clear in the movie. The Hollywood Reporter said that even though Spielberg helped produce the film, Zemeckis’s vision was more subtle and gentle. Some reviewers compared the movie to It’s a Wonderful Life, a 1946 film with a similar story about changing the future. Roger Ebert praised the film’s humanity, charm, and surprises. Sheila Benson was less positive, saying the film felt overproduced and had a weak ending focused on material rewards. Siskel argued that the tension came from making the past changeable and the future uncertain, which was different from typical time travel films. Paul Attanasio criticized some parts of the film that seemed designed to appeal to the widest audience.

Actors were generally praised, especially Fox, Lloyd, Thompson, and Glover. Reviewers liked Fox’s "appealing" performance, and some said Lloyd’s acting stood out. Kehr and Attanasio said Lloyd’s energetic and intense performance honored classic mad scientist characters, like those played by Sid Caesar and John Belushi, and helped create a new type of scientist for modern audiences. Vincent Canby and Variety said Thompson’s passionate performance and Glover’s character development were highlights. Some reviewers thought the use of Libyan terrorists, which reflected real fears at the time, was not appropriate.

Audiences who saw the film gave it an average grade of "A" on a scale from A+ to F.

Back to the Future received four nominations at the 43rd Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor (Fox), Best Original Song ("The Power of Love"), and Best Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis). It was also named Favorite Motion Picture at the 12th People’s Choice Awards. At the 1986 Academy Awards, it won one award for Best Sound Effects Editing (Charles L. Campbell and Robert Rutledge) and received three other nominations: Best Original Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis), Best Sound (Bill Varney, B. Tennyson Sebastian II, Robert Thirlwell, and William B. Kaplan), and Best Original Song ("The Power of Love").

At the 39th British Academy Film Awards, it received five nominations: Best Film, Best Original Screenplay (Gale and Zemeckis), Best Visual Effects (Pike and Ralston), Best Production Design (Paull), and Best Editing (Schmidt and Keramidas). At the 13th Saturn Awards, it won three awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actor (Fox), and Best Special Effects (Pike). It also won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. The film was successful internationally, winning awards such as Best Foreign Producer (Spielberg) and Best Foreign Screenplay at the David di Donatello Awards (Italy), Outstanding Foreign Film from the Japan Academy, and the Goldene Leinwand (Germany) for selling over three million tickets in its first eighteen months.

Post-release

The movie Back to the Future was released on VHS on May 22, 1986, at a price of $79.95. It became the first film to sell 450,000 copies at that price and was the most rented VHS tape of the year. A sequel was not planned until after the movie’s theater release. A “To Be Continued…” graphic was added to the end of the VHS version to hint at future films. When the movie was released on DVD in 2002, the graphic was removed because the filmmakers wanted the DVD to match the experience of watching it in a theater. It was released on Blu-ray in 2010 for the film’s 25th anniversary. This version included a six-part documentary with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and music videos from all three films. It also featured the first public showing of footage of actor Michael J. Fox playing Marty McFly. For the film’s 35th anniversary in 2020, a remastered 4K Ultra HD version was released on Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray. This edition included extras from previous releases, audition footage, and a look at the film’s props hosted by director Robert Zemeckis. Limited edition steel bookcases and a model of the levitating hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II were also available.

The Back to the Future soundtrack was released in July 1985 on cassette, LP record, and CD. The song “The Power of Love” was the lead single and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Sales were slow at first but later reached number twelve on the Billboard 200, partly due to the song’s success. The film’s score was released on CD in 2009 with unreleased variations. All three films’ scores were released on LP record in 2016, individually and as a collection. Composer Alan Silvestri oversaw the remastering of the original recordings, which included previously unreleased tracks. Director Robert Zemeckis wrote notes for the CD releases.

In 1985, film merchandising was a new idea, popularized by Star Wars. Since Back to the Future was not aimed at children, there was little merchandise at first. A novelization by George Gipe was released in 1985. A rideable DeLorean toy was not available until 1986. Over time, the films inspired a wide range of merchandise, including Playmobil toys, playing cards, clothing, pottery, posters, board games, figures, plush toys, Funko POP! figures, action figures, Hot Wheels, books, music albums, and Christmas ornaments.

The film had several video game adaptations. A version of the game was released with the film for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. An arcade game was released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Director Robert Zemeckis said the game was one of the worst ever made and warned people not to buy it. A pinball game was released in 1990, but Fox refused to let the game use his likeness. A graphic adventure game, Back to the Future: The Game, was released in 2010. Zemeckis helped create the game’s story, which takes place after the third film. A section in Lego Dimensions is based on the films and includes voice work by actor Christopher Lloyd.

A simulator ride called Back to the Future: The Ride ran from 1991 to 2007 at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida. The ride was supervised by director Steven Spielberg and included scenes of Doc Brown chasing Biff. A version of the ride was also at Universal Studios Japan from 2001 to 2016. A Back to the Future-themed Monopoly board game was released in 2015. A Funko board game was released in 2020. Players take on roles of main characters and compete against the Tannens across different time periods.

Several books have been written about the making of the films. We Don’t Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy is an oral history by people involved in the production. Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History was released in 2015 and covers the entire franchise. The British Film Institute published BFI Film Classics: Back to the Future, which details the film’s background. Comic books also explore Doc’s and Marty’s adventures before and after the films. A crossover with the Transformers franchise included a transforming DeLorean toy and related comic books.

Thematic analysis

The main theme of Back to the Future is about taking control and being responsible for one’s future. It shows that even when a situation seems impossible to fix, change is possible. Thompson said the film shows how one moment can greatly affect a person’s life. Gale believed that Doc’s line in Back to the Future Part III — “Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one” — perfectly summarizes the film’s main idea.

At the start of the film, Marty is rejected at a music competition and worries his dreams will never come true. He fears he might end up like his parents, and he sees proof of this in 1955 when George, his father, is too scared to talk to Lorraine. Marty tries to change the past to save his future, but he does not think about how his actions might hurt others. When he returns to 1985, his parents are wealthier and have a better car, but Biff, another character, is now a servant for the McFly family. Glover criticized the film’s ending, saying Marty should have been rewarded with happy parents who love each other, not material things. Zemeckis said the ending was right for its time but might be different today. Gale disagreed, saying he did not apologize for the ending. Most American viewers liked it, but some people in other countries did not.

Although some film studios rejected Back to the Future for not being “raunchy” enough, the film touches on serious topics like sexual assault, racism, and a theory called the Oedipus complex, which suggests a child might have unconscious feelings for their parent of the opposite sex. The film focuses on relationships between parents and children. Thompson said the film stays relevant because it shows that parents were once children with the same dreams as their children.

Critics like Justin Chang and Mark Olsen believe the film supports Reaganism, a political idea linked to President Ronald Reagan that values the American dream, hard work, and technology. The film shows 1985 Hill Valley as old and run-down, while 1955 is shown as a simpler, safer time. Marty helps George become more confident, leading to a better future for himself. The film includes brand names like Mountain Dew and Pepsi to make the setting realistic, but the filmmakers also received money from these companies, making their inclusion more commercial than artistic.

Film studies lecturer Sorcha Ní Fhlainn said many 1980s films helped people escape worries like nuclear threats, crime, and inequality. She believed movies like Back to the Future and Star Wars gave comfort by showing idealized American values and strong, powerful figures like George McFly. English professor Susan Jeffords compared Doc Brown to Reagan, a leader who supports technology and helps families improve.

The song “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry is used in the film’s ending. Berry was hesitant to let the song be used, and some argue this relates to race issues, as Marty, a white character, seems to take credit for creating rock and roll, a genre rooted in African-American music. The film also shows an African-American band at a 1955 dance, which would not have been allowed at the time. Another character, Goldie Wilson, is inspired by Marty to work toward becoming mayor, showing a Reagan-style focus on self-reliance.

Gale and Zemeckis influenced Back to the Future with references to other works, such as The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strangelove, and Star Wars. The film also alludes to books like The Time Machine and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The DeLorean car’s dashboard uses colors similar to the time machine from The Time Machine. Critic Ray Loynd said Doc Brown is like a king, and Marty is like his knight.

Legacy

Since its release, Back to the Future has remained an important part of popular culture. In 2007, the United States Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry because it is culturally, historically, or artistically significant. The film helped Michael J. Fox become a well-known and successful actor, and Christopher Lloyd received fan letters for many years after the movie came out. Fox said people still enjoy the original film because it is the "purest" and "most complete" version in the series. He compared it to The Wizard of Oz (1939), saying it still appeals to children because they do not think of it as an old movie. In 2012, Elisabeth Shue called it the greatest role of her career. Dean Cundey believed the film connects with fans because it offers the idea of traveling back in time to change the present. Lloyd said fans from around the world have told him the film inspired them to become scientists.

Many of the main actors have reunited since the film was made. These reunions often support charity, such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease (Fox was diagnosed with the disease at age 29) and Project HOPE. A 2019 event at the TCM Classic Film Festival showed a restored version of Back to the Future in 4K. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Josh Gad hosted a special event about the film with many cast and crew members. The actors have also appeared in ads that are loosely connected to the film, using their fame from the movie.

The film is popular worldwide, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Japan. On October 21, 2015 (the day Doc and Marty travel to in Back to the Future II), about 27 million people on social media talked about the film. The most active users were in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil. Ronald Reagan, a former president of the United States, mentioned the film in a 1986 speech, saying, "As they said in the film Back to the Future, 'Where we're going, we don't need roads.'" However, some sources say Reagan asked the theater to replay the film after enjoying a joke about Doc Brown becoming president, but this is disputed by Reagan’s advisor, Mark Weinberg. The film also helped make skateboarding more popular in the 1980s, making it a mainstream activity for people of all ages.

Back to the Future has been mentioned in many other forms of media, such as television, films, and video games. The characters Doc and Marty inspired the main characters of the 2013 animated show Rick and Morty. The British band McFly is named after Marty McFly. The 2011 book Ready Player One and its 2018 movie version both reference the film, including a character using a DeLorean for transportation. Filmmaker J. J. Abrams has also said the movie influenced him.

A 2015 documentary called Back in Time shows how the film has affected fans’ lives and includes interviews with cast members like Fox and Lloyd. The DeLorean car used in the film is considered one of the most famous vehicles in movie history. John DeLorean, the car’s creator, was a fan and sent letters to cast members thanking them for using his car. Before the film, the DeLorean was not widely known, but it has since become a valuable item for collectors. The DeLorean Motor Company now sells kits to help fans make their cars look like the one in the movie. In 2011, Gale helped restore an original DeLorean used in the film, as shown in the book Out of Time: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine.

Back to the Future is considered a major achievement in American cinema and one of the greatest films ever made. In 2004, The New York Times listed it as one of the 1,000 best movies ever. In 2005, its screenplay was ranked the 56th greatest of the previous 75 years by the Writers Guild of America. It also appeared on lists such as Film4’s 50 Films to See Before You Die (number 10), Empire’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time (number 23), and the American Film Institute’s list of the 10 best science fiction films. In 2010, Total Film named it one of the 100 greatest movies ever made, and in 2011, it was voted the fourth favorite film by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra listeners. It is also included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. In 2014, a poll of 2,120 entertainment-industry members ranked it the 12th best film of all time. In 2015, its screenplay was listed as the 67th funniest on the Writers Guild of America’s list, and Rotten Tomatoes ranked it number 84 on its list of 200 essential movies.

Many publications have called Back to the Future one of the best science fiction films and one of the best films of the 1980s. Popular Mechanics and Rolling Stone listed it as the number one and number four best time-travel film ever made, respectively. Entertainment Weekly named it the 40th most essential film for pre-teens and the 28th best high-school movie. Marty McFly was ranked number 39 on Empire’s 2006 list of "100 Greatest Movie Characters," and Doc Brown followed at number 76.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 92% approval rating from 118 critics, with an average score of 8.8/10. The site says, "Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, Back to the Future is a rousing time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit." Based on this score, it is listed as the 87th best action and adventure film. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 87 out of 100, meaning it is widely praised. In the United Kingdom, readers of Empire voted it the 11th best film on their 2017 list of "The 100 Greatest Movies."

Sequels and adaptations

A sequel was not planned at first. The ending of the first movie, where Doc, Marty, and Jennifer fly off in the DeLorean, suggested their story might continue without showing on screen. Universal Pictures wanted to make a sequel because the first movie was very successful both in money and in reviews. However, Zemeckis and Gale were not ready to work on a sequel. They believed sequels often repeat the best parts of the original movie. They also worried that a weak sequel might upset fans and hurt their reputation after their first big success together. By 1987, Zemeckis and Gale agreed to help make a sequel after Universal said they would make it without them if needed. Their script for the sequel was so long it became two movies: Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990). Both movies were filmed one after the other.

Part II shows Marty and Doc traveling to the year 2015. There, they accidentally let the older Biff Tannen steal the DeLorean and go back to 1955, changing history to help himself. Wells and Glover did not return for the sequels. Part II made a lot of money but was criticized for being complicated and hard to follow. Zemeckis has said it is his least favorite movie in the series. Part III follows Marty traveling to 1885 to save Doc, who is stuck in time. This movie made less money than the first two but was more praised by critics. In 2018, a poll by The Hollywood Reporter found that 71% of 2,200 people wanted a fourth Back to the Future movie, more than for another Toy Story or Indiana Jones film. Gale said there will never be a fourth movie, comparing it to "selling your kids into prostitution." He added that a new movie could not happen without Fox, who could not participate because of his Parkinson’s disease.

An animated TV show, Back to the Future, aired on CBS from 1991 to 1992. It shows Doc and Marty’s adventures in different time periods, with live-action scenes of Doc (Lloyd) doing science experiments with Bill Nye. A short film, Doc Brown Saves the World (2015), celebrated the movie’s 30th anniversary. Lloyd returned as Doc, who must go to the future to stop a nuclear disaster in 2045. A musical theater version of Back to the Future opened in February 2020 in England. It received good reviews. The musical was written by Gale and Zemeckis, with music by Silvestri and Glen Ballard. Gale said the musical was the best way to share more Back to the Future stories without adding to the movie series. In 2024, Zemeckis said he was interested in turning the musical into a movie. Overall, the Back to the Future series is considered one of the most successful movie series in history.