Back to the Future

For as long as it takes to finish the Disney animated, hybrid, and Pixar films, Mondays will be devoted to the comedy genre.

In 1985, Robert Zemeckis directed the Spielberg produced time travel comedy film, Back to the Future. Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Crispin Glover, it was the most successful film of the year and grossed over $300 million worldwide. It won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. Ronald Regan also referred to the film in his 1986 State of the Union Address.

Marty McFly (Fox) is sent back in time to 1955, where he meets his parents (Thompson and Glover). He accidentally becomes his mother’s romantic interest and must repair the damage with the help of Dr. Emmett Brown (Lloyd) before finding his way back to 1985.

Back to the Future is a good mixing of science fiction and comedy, especially when the time machine is made from a DeLorean. And while there’s never a proper explanation for just how the flux capacitor is what makes time travel possible, the absence is never noticeable.

The characters are also realistic, with Lorraine acting exactly like a teenage girl who’s irrationally infatuated with a guy that just happened to fall into her life. George is also a perfect nerd that really doesn’t care about anything around him other than his stories and television shows. But his character progression is also decent, he likes Lorraine from afar, but can never approach her because of Biff. But when it’s his time to shine, he doesn’t back down. Marty’s also a wonderful idiot, especially when he thinks 10 minutes is enough time to stop the Libyans from killing Doc.

There’s also good tension when it comes to actually getting Lorraine and George together. While a movie like this would never really go for completely offing Marty, the fact that it very nearly does gives the film proper sense of urgency.

This’ll be #1 in a new Comedy category, and it far surpasses the Edge of Satisfaction.