Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future is a classic sci-fi adventure film that follows Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a 17-year-old high school student in Hill Valley who feels stuck in a dull life filled with family problems and personal frustration. His father, George, is timid and constantly bullied by his supervisor Biff Tannen, while his mother, Lorraine, is unhappy and nostalgic for the past. Marty’s only escape is his friendship with the eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown, who has been working on a secret invention for decades.
One night, Doc reveals his astonishing creation: a time machine built from a DeLorean sports car, powered by stolen plutonium and designed to travel through time at 88 mph. Before Marty can fully grasp what he’s seeing, Libyan terrorists—angry that Doc took their plutonium—arrive and shoot the scientist. Marty escapes in the DeLorean, accidentally hitting the time-travel speed and being transported back to 1955.
Stranded in the past with no plutonium to return home, Marty searches for the younger version of Doc Brown. Along the way, he unintentionally disrupts his parents’ first meeting when he saves George from being hit by a car—a moment that originally led Lorraine to fall in love with George. Instead, Lorraine becomes infatuated with Marty himself, threatening his own existence. Marty must now get his parents to fall in love before time runs out and he fades from existence.
Marty finds 1955 Doc, who is shocked but excited by the time-travel revelation. Since there is no plutonium in 1955, Doc devises a risky plan: use the upcoming lightning strike—one they know from the future will hit the Hill Valley clock tower—to power the DeLorean. Meanwhile, Marty aggressively works to push George and Lorraine together by giving George confidence and helping him stand up to Biff, the bully who torments him.
The school dance becomes the turning point. After Marty arranges for George to intervene “heroically,” George knocks out Biff in a single bold punch, earning Lorraine’s admiration and restoring the timeline. As Marty begins fading, Lorraine kisses George, securing their future relationship and Marty’s existence.
Finally, Marty races to the clock tower as a storm hits. In a thrilling sequence, Doc connects the lightning cables just in time, allowing Marty to return to 1985. Back home, he discovers his actions changed the future—his parents are confident and successful, and Biff is no longer a bully.
Just as everything seems settled, 1985 Doc arrives in the DeLorean from the future, warning:
“Marty, you’ve got to come back with me—something has to be done about your kids!”
