Great Scott!

20 years ago this month, the original "Back to the Future" was first released in theatres.

I assume nearly everyone has seen "BTTF" at least once in the past 20 years. I probably have seen it on approximately 153 occassions in the past 20 years. I remember the first occassion, a trip to the Cinema 6 in Westridge Mall during a hot July afternoon in Phoenix in 1985; my 6-year-old mind was blown. "BTTF" has since been one of my favorite movies of all time.

Michael J. Fox played Marty McFly, the main character, seen here wearing his "life preserver." Throughout the film, Marty demonstrates "coolness" and admirable grace under unfathomable pressure. I was already a big Michael J. Fox fan in 1985, having regularly watched him on "Family Ties." Fox epitimized suave, smart-ass "cool," '80's style. I even wore a clip-on tie and sweater vest for my kindergarten class photo in an effort to look more "Alex P. Keaton"-like (I think I have that photo lying around...I'll have to scan and upload it soon).

Christopher Llyod played Emmett "Doc" Brown, the key member of the supporting cast. The movie never explains how Doc, a kooky gray-haired scientist, hooks up with Marty, a hip 17-year-old high school student, but they enjoy a valuable friendship. They help each other be better people. The Doc demonstrates that you can be cool while being crazy.

But we all know the "real" star of the movie was the time machine, a modified DeLorean car. For a long time, I planned to buy a DeLorean as my first car; this did not come to pass. I think I still want a DeLorean. Maybe one day I'll be rich and ostentatious enough to own a garage full of fancy cars I don't drive; one of those cars would be a DeLorean.

The pivotal scene of "BTTF" takes place at a mall, which endears me to the film even more. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, I discovered that the "Twin Pines Mall" was actually Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry (21 miles southeast of L.A. City Hall). Sadly, the JCPenney was closed by 1998 and there's no Fox Photo booth in the parking lot, so it doesn't look quite the same. I attempted to drive 88 miles per hour in Puente Hills Mall's parking lot but was unsuccessful.

I snagged this map of Hill Valley in 1955 off the Net - I can't guarantee its accuracy.

There is an urban planning angle to "BTTF." The film tells the story of the fictional California city of Hill Valley, a story of suburban sprawl and urban decay. In 1955, Hill Valley's downtown is thriving and gleaming clean; in 1985, it's dirty and deteriorating. The park in front of the Courthouse became a parking lot, one movie theater became a porn theatre and the other became a church. In 1955, the site of the Twin Pines Mall and its environs were once "farmland as far as the eye could see" (Doc Brown), and the subdivision where Marty lives in 1985 hasn't even been built yet. Some variation of this story of suburban sprawl and urban decay was told in every town and city in the United States between 1955 and 1985, making Hill Valley a true "anytown" that most people can relate to. This urban planning angle was communicated to me even at the tender age of 6, largely because I had already realized that cities were living entities susceptible to evolutionary change. My mother had lived in Phoenix since 1957, so she often told me stories of how that fast-growing city had evolved over time. I was already fascinated by the history of cities and became enthralled with the idea of using time travel to witness first-hand the growth of, and change within, cities.

Perhaps the greatest thing about "BTTF" is its positive message: "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." This epiphany, related from Doc to Marty and on to Marty's father George, was true in 1955 and 1985 and is very much true today. As trite as this message is, I've adopted it as one of my mantras, and it's served me well. If the Doc can build a time machine, surely any one of us can do whatever it is he or she dreams of. Commitment is the key.

For a long time I felt cheated by the film's ending, which stated that the story was "to be continued." It was 4 long years before the sequel came out ("BTTF 2" hit theatres in the fall of 1989, "BTTF 3" in the summer of 1990). For a 6-year-old, this was an unbearingly long wait. I have come to appreciate the sequels as excellent films in their own right, but in no way do they eclipse the original. I was pleased, though, to see that the urban planning angle continued to be explored in the sequels ("BTTF 2" documents Hill Valley's urban life in the year 2015 and in an alternate year 1985, while "BTTF 3" documents it in the year 1885).

Happy 20th Anniversary, "Back to the Future!" I hope my (hypothetical) children and grandchildren will enjoy you as much as I have.

Liks of Interest

BTTF on IMDb

Official BTTF Site

BTTF.com

The Original BTTF Script

DeLorean Motor Company

Puente Hills Mall

Michael J. Fox Database

Another Unofficial Christopher Lloyd Web Site