Back in time, and in style...

Every once in a while I get all nostalgic, nostalgic like a drunk historian under hypnosis. I start reminiscing about my life and how things have gone, thinking about the things that would be different had I made some different choices. Inevitably this leads me down the rabbit hole of old stories and movies. 

I was in one such mood last night, a driftless melancholy, a stillness if you will. Usually, when I am in such moods I tell stories that start off with "back in my day", but last night there was no one to spin a yarn for. It was just me and my lonesome, so I did the next best thing- turned on the TV and found a movie that meant something to me. In this case, that movie was a classic from "back in the day", that day was a day in 1985. 

You guessed it... Back to the future. 

I watched it, I loved it, then I went to bed missing the old days. But it got me thinking, why was Back to the Future such a good movie? What made it stand out in the eighties, and why does it withstand the test of time today? Well, let me answer that for you. 

This is not a review so much as an analysis of the film, more specifically the story. First off, let me say something, for those of you who have read my book Patchwork Indigo, some of the elements were seeded from this movie, after all, I watched it in my formative years. 

There are a number of things that make this movie a classic! For the time, it was a ground-breaking idea, one that has had its fair share of rip-offs, however, in 1984, it was original. And although it spawned two pretty good sequels, that's all they were, pretty good. Part II and III are merely adequate, nothing more. There's a ton to like about these movies. But I am only going to go over the first one and Because there is so much, and I really dig brevity, I will pick three things that this movie excels at. Kind of like clothing, I really only like to wear three articles at a time. 

Back to the Future excels at making sure that nothing is wasted. All the details of the story are exactly what the story needs, everything is folded into it. This fat lady was trimmed before she sang. When the story starts out, no one in the family is living their best life. Dad is absent, even when he's sitting in the room with the family. Mom is an alcoholic, and the brother is an adult that lives at home and works fast food. Sister is a train wreck, especially with men. The way it's filmed highlights specifics in character, everything right down to the laugh, and how father and son share it. All the details seen in the first five minutes of the movie come full circle by the end. The opening illustrates how a single moment can change so much, not just one person, but everyone that person touches. Attention to detail is important throughout the movie. Everything thing in every scene is crucial, even Jailbird Joey (he has his own wiki if you care to look at it). Furthermore, each scene points the way to the next, and each carries with it something that will either be useful later or illustrate the point mentioned above. 

From the clock tower flyer to the underwear Marty wears. This whole story is tighter than a dolphin's butt-hole. It's not some flaccid script that someone found lurking around a peepshow, incomplete and naked behind that hole. Again, nothing is wasted. Good writing should do this, waste not, want not. Every word should count. All the details reveal the heart of this story. It carries a simple message. The message is that a single act of bravery can change a person's life. 

In the end, when we meet the family again, everything is different. Dad is present and in control of his life, he is living his dream of being a published author. Mom is not drinking, in fact, she plays tennis. The brother doesn't work in fast food, and the sister is liberated, but also respectful.   

The second thing the script excels at is dialogue. It's pointed and makes use of puns, irony, inflection, and most of all it's period-appropriate. The dialogue is exceptional in this movie. Part of it is the chemistry between the actors, but the other part is that Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale were completely aware of cultural and period references and their differences between the years 1955 and 1985. I have talked about this one before, it drives me crazy when people don't use dialogue that is befitting of the time the story is taking place in. Nailing this one is a lost art. In today's world of no-talent hacks, writers feel it necessary to "update" or "represent" modern times all work. Instead, and because modern writers seem to have the "dumb", current shows neglect the changing of time in the way characters speak. 

Back to the Future plays off of it, the script makes the misunderstandings and decade shock as the story unfolds, especially with the slang Marty uses. This is apparent even in the music selected to portray that Marty is out of place and time. At the dance when Marty plays the song Jonny Be Good the crowd is into it, but as the song progresses so does Marty's behavior and use of the guitar. By the end of the song, he has moved forward in time three decades and is so far removed from the original song that no one gets it. Then, he makes the joke about how they aren't ready for it, that it's too soon, but their kids will love it. Bravo!

Lastly, this movie is balanced! If you look at the running time of this movie, around 116 minutes, it comes in as a fantastic watch. It's not too long, and it's not too short. This is due to the planning and the aforementioned fact that nothing is unnecessary. Each scene from start to finish is just the right length, and because nothing is wasted, the viewer feels like every minute adds to the story and nothing is filler. From one scene to the next the moviegoer is pulled through the story with the characters and stays with the story. Nothing is jarring about the continuity of the film, it is smooth right from start to finish. The viewer never has the chance to become disinterested. I tell ya' folks, this kind of writing doesn't just happen, it is carefully planned and paced just right. I can't imagine the rewrites on this one. I truly am curious to see how much was left on the floor before filming, they must have killed the crap out of their darlings on this one. Only liposuction, diet change, and a year of working out could get a screenplay this lean! 

Study this one folks, this one is a great example of how you build a better-than-average story. 

Cheers!