Director: Robert Zemeckis Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd Writers: Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale | 4/5 Back to the Future If you were born at any point in the past three decades, chances are you were raised on movies like Back to the Future. About a young guy who, after accidentally being sent thirty years into the past, must make sure his parents reunite, the movie is one of the many Spielberg-produced gems that have come to define the blockbuster system. That is alright with me. This is a blockbuster firing off on all its perfectly placed cylinders…at the designated times they are supposed to be blowing, of course. Let’s talk about some of the reason why this is both a good thing and a bad thing. Director Robert Zemeckis has mastered the blockbuster formula, finding ways to amp up the wow factor and expertly sugar coat the fact that it is, indeed, a formula. Perhaps the best example of that Zemeckis skill can be found in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Try and think of a negative thought during that complete joy of a film. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the director’s most decorated film, Forrest Gump. Gump piles on the sugar so high that it cannot possibly stay up. Like a Jenga tower, the feel-good vibes eventually topple down and expose the movie’s calculated, empty center. Back to the Future is a perfect example of a film that falls in that space between two poles. |
Like Roger Rabbit, Future speeds along at a perfect pace. Most of the gags land, and those that do not are quickly shuffled out in anticipation of the next one. The characters are interesting, empathetic, and loony in all the best ways. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox at his best) and his family, led by the pushover father George (Crispin Glover) and the depressed mother Lorraine (Lea Thompson), are three of Hollywood’s most memorable creations. Things become even more delirious when Marty begins to interact with the teenage versions of his parents, notably his lovestruck mother. Standing atop all of these characters is Christopher Lloyd’s endlessly entertaining, mad scientist Dr. Emmett Brown. All of these elements, including the cast and the director’s skill at building tension, come together to form the quickest two hours you are likely to see.
Like Forrest Gump, Zemeckis burdens the story with an awe-shucks sentimentality that shuns more than it awes. Gump had a classic performance from Tom Hanks to salvage whatever heart was left; Future lacks such a savior. The cast is endlessly entertaining, I am not denying that; but no one in particular gets to the story’s beating heart. That may not be a fault of the cast, but one of the script. Written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the screenplay exhausts all of its efforts crafting a twisty time-travel narrative. Bravo on that front; however, I would have liked to have seen some of the dialogue dedicated to character building as well as story/world building.
If you ever find yourself taking a screenwriting class, you will find that Back to the Future meets all the checkpoints for an effective screenplay. It has a clearly-defined, empathetic protagonist with a goal that defines the story’s arc. Marty is an active protagonist, effecting the world around instead of the other way around. After the climax at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, he accomplishes his goal and saves the day. The two hours ends and the audience is sufficiently satisfied. Job well done. The routine was followed, executed perfectly, and the movie has been rewarded for it, both at the box office and in the memories of all who come across it.
Something is missing, though. That X-factor element may be indescribable. On the other hand, it may be simple. With Back to the Future, I think the problem lies in the fact that it is so eager to please and play by the rules. At the school dance, Marty plays a version of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” that rockets the tune’s ending into the future with fretboard pyrotechnics and onstage thrashing. Look over the fact that Marty supposedly “invents” rock and roll - a one-note gag Zemeckis would later stretch out to movie-length form and call Forrest Gump - and what you have is a character breaking out of the mold and horrifying everyone in the audience with his progressive behavior. Future never has that bold, daring Chuck Berry moment. It is a great film, one that will continue to please kids and adults alike for years, but conformity will always hold it back from a perfect score.
(Available on iTunes)
Like Forrest Gump, Zemeckis burdens the story with an awe-shucks sentimentality that shuns more than it awes. Gump had a classic performance from Tom Hanks to salvage whatever heart was left; Future lacks such a savior. The cast is endlessly entertaining, I am not denying that; but no one in particular gets to the story’s beating heart. That may not be a fault of the cast, but one of the script. Written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the screenplay exhausts all of its efforts crafting a twisty time-travel narrative. Bravo on that front; however, I would have liked to have seen some of the dialogue dedicated to character building as well as story/world building.
If you ever find yourself taking a screenwriting class, you will find that Back to the Future meets all the checkpoints for an effective screenplay. It has a clearly-defined, empathetic protagonist with a goal that defines the story’s arc. Marty is an active protagonist, effecting the world around instead of the other way around. After the climax at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, he accomplishes his goal and saves the day. The two hours ends and the audience is sufficiently satisfied. Job well done. The routine was followed, executed perfectly, and the movie has been rewarded for it, both at the box office and in the memories of all who come across it.
Something is missing, though. That X-factor element may be indescribable. On the other hand, it may be simple. With Back to the Future, I think the problem lies in the fact that it is so eager to please and play by the rules. At the school dance, Marty plays a version of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” that rockets the tune’s ending into the future with fretboard pyrotechnics and onstage thrashing. Look over the fact that Marty supposedly “invents” rock and roll - a one-note gag Zemeckis would later stretch out to movie-length form and call Forrest Gump - and what you have is a character breaking out of the mold and horrifying everyone in the audience with his progressive behavior. Future never has that bold, daring Chuck Berry moment. It is a great film, one that will continue to please kids and adults alike for years, but conformity will always hold it back from a perfect score.
(Available on iTunes)