For my new class Ollywood, we have so far learned about movies and why they are so special in a lot of different ways. The main topics we hit on were production design and costume design and how people really don’t think about how hard it can be to have the costumes made and to produce the movie. For our action project, I critiqued Back to the Future because I heard it was super good and I have never seen it before. Because I have not seen the movie before, I was able to watch and critique it with an open mind. The purpose of this was to see if a movie has a deeper meaning and what is the definition of one.
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| "Back to the Future" Graffiti Life. 2013. Wiki Commons |
Back to the Future is a science-fiction, fantasy movie about a teenage boy who accidentally goes back in time and may have messed up his present. This film’s screenplay was written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, who also directed the film. It was produced by Bob Gale and Neil Canton. Bob Gale was inspired to write this movie when he found his dad’s old yearbook from when he was in high school, and wondered if he would have been friends with his dad if they grew up in the same time period. I believe that this movie also shows how technology has developed so much over the years which makes the future better, allowing us to use decayed food to power cars. Also the 1980s was a time where technology was growing and slowly getting better and more advanced.
Back to the Future takes place in 1985 and 1955 in Hill Valley, California, a fictional town that is very happy where bad things rarely happen. Hill Valley features a small park in the center surrounded by little shops and a nice diner where everyone goes to eat.This set was actual created in the parking lot of Universal Studios. They couldn't find anywhere that would be perfect for featuring a realistic a 1980s and a 1950s town, so the set-designers created their own.
This famous movie follows our protagonist, Marty McFly played by Michael J. Fox a teenager with a wild spark. His clothing are very modern for the time. He is seen mostly in a jean jacket and pants with his iconic orange vest over it and a white T-shirt under his jacket. The quote that best describes Marty is, “Wait Doc are you telling me it is 8:25?! Damn I’m late for school!” This quote shows that Marty is a slacker that is motivated by how own wild spark. He works with Dr. Brown aka Doc played by (Christopher Lloyd.) He is the one loony of the town whose work as an inventor and scientist is not really respected. He looks like a stereotypical crazy, mad scientist, with his hair up like he just got shocked and wears a lab coat.
The movie starts with Marty planning to go on a camping trip with his girlfriend and when he goes home to get his car, he sees that his father George played by Crispin Glover being yelled at by Biff played by Thomas F. Wilson. George is a science-fiction fan who can’t stand up for himself who is bullied by his longtime nemesis, Biff who is always trying to prove himself. As a highschool kid in 1950, Biff is dressed in casual clothing and as an adult in 1980, he is dressed in a blazer and suit pants. But he looks really goofy in both time periods. The costume designer effectively showed Biff’s insecurities and his reasons to bully George through his costume. The quote that best describes Biff is, “Do realize what would happen if I hand in my reports in your handwriting, I would get fired. You wouldn’t want that to happen would you? Would You?!” This shows that Biff is a huge bully and will take advantage of people and try to always get his way.
Marty leaves the house to meet Doc at the mall where he sees that the Doc has turned a Delorean into a time machine. After a tragic incident in the Delorean, Marty gets himself stuck in 1955, where he meets his young mother Lorraine played by Lea Thompson and his young father. In 1985, Marty’s mom Lorraine is an alcoholic who does not approve of Marty’s wild spark or girls who chase boys. But, the young Lorraine we meet in 1955, has a wild spark of her own and spends her time chasing boys.
After the time travel, Marty is afraid that his presence in the past will ruin his future; he does everything he can get his parents together in 1955 to ensure his own existence in 1985. Marty tries to get George to man-up and ask Lorraine to the dance where he knew his parents fell in love.The biggest problem now is that Lorraine has the hots for Marty! Marty and George devise a plan to get Lorraine to fall in love with George, all the while trying to keep Biff away from Lorraine.
My favorite scene involves one of Marty’s scheme to keep Biff away from Lorraine. Marty dresses up in a Hazmat suit and tells George that he is Darth Vader and that he comes from the planet, Vulcan. Next, we see George rush to Marty and tell him he needs to ask out Lorraine so his brain does not melt. Then, Marty starts to tell George how can get a girl to fall in love him, and we see George taking notes. They walk into a diner where Lorraine is talking to her friends and George tries to talk to her, but fails by stuttering and stammering. Then, Biff walks in and starts walking towards George, but Marty trips Biff to get him to stay away. Marty punches Biff and Marty escapes. This scene really shows how in 1950 it was a lot harder to ask a girl out and you had more obstacles created from other men. It also shows how a bully will almost do anything to get his way.
After Marty is successful in getting his parents to the dance, he meets Doc so that he can return to 1985. The crisis occurs when Doc and Marty seem unable to get the Delorean to 88 mph which is the speed that is needed to time-travel.
Fortunately, Marty and Doc get back to 1985 and as the resolution, Marty awakes in his house in 1985 and everything is better than when he left. His parents are happy and back together, his brother is successful, his sister is dating, his mother skinny and rid of her drinking problem, and his father is a strong, independent man. Marty saw that he had his dream car and he was still going camping with the girl he was in love with. When they are about to kiss, we see the Doc in Delorean pop out and start talking about how they need to go to the future and fix the kids that his girlfriend and him are going to have; leading them on to their new adventure.
Overall, this movie was a great, the production design was impressive considering that it was made in a parking lot! The costumes and the acting really created realistic stories that would took place in the 1950s and 1980s. This is a must-see movie that will change how you view time travel. It makes you think about how what you do in the past it can really change the present. Michael J. Fox made Marty McFly a real character that we all know and love that made our childhoods.
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