masterful plot

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2006)

Suspend your disbelief in the mind-bending time-traveling premise; set aside the ultra-modern DeLorean (which still looks way ahead of our time 20 years later); peel back the 80s versus 50s clashing culture references; look past the extremely well-played cast of stock characters (the dashing, adventurous Marty, freaky fitful Doc, bullying Biff, timid pining George); mute the magnificent musical score; and strip away the splendid special effects (esp. the enduring parallel flame trails) and you have, in my opinion, the centerpiece and finest component of the movie--its superbly arranged plot. Movies tell stories. Stories have conflicts and problems that characters have to overcome. Back to the Future's plot is fantastic mix of interwoven conflicts. There are the character problems--Doc's dilemma about the morality of his scientific endeavors; McFly's family discord; Marty's growing pains. There are major plot problems--Doc's quest to test his machine; Marty getting stuck in time and trying to reconstitute his family. And then the film weaves in a myriad of subplots and little problems. The last half-hour of the movie throws one obstacle after another as Marty out of the locked school, fights off Biff, takes center stage, overcomes the downed cable, and still manages to get back in time to save Doc. Take the intricate plot and throw in all the other fine elements, and we've got a movie that keeps the viewer at the edge of the seat all the way up to 88mph. Then, with the denouement of the story, every the conflicts is resolved. There are no loose ends. There are no extraneous characters; everyone with a problem has it fixed by the end. The complete closure leaves a hook for the next episode. The special effects fit nicely within the story and do not overwhelm it (unlike so many films nowadays). Same for the music. At the end of the day, Back to the Future is a great story that leaves the viewer with plenty of plot to digest. Best appreciated over several viewings.