Back to the Future’s Early Development Process Was Full Of Surprisingly Interesting Ideas

Not only one of the most wonderful films of 1985, but one of the most wonderful films of all time, Back to the Future is one of those rare movies that can still be watched with the same joy today. But the beginning of this happiness-giving trilogy was not as easy as it may look from the outside.

Today, most people remember the film through time travel, the DeLorean, the flux capacitor, the 1955 atmosphere, and Marty McFly’s adventure. But the interesting part is this: the real concern of Back to the Future is neither the time continuum problem nor science fiction itself. This film is actually built on a very simple but very powerful idea: our parents were once kids, teenagers, and people who made mistakes just like us.

Now I will share the production notes behind the film, but if you are interested, there is another post full of strange and fascinating details that you may also want to check out : ( Things You Probably Did Not Know About Back To The Future >> ) 

The Starting Point Of The Film Was Not Time Travel, But The Idea Of Family

Back to the Future has always been known as a science fiction film because of its approach to time. But when you look at the core of the film, a much more human issue appears. The film is built on the idea that “parents were once kids/teenagers too.”

Screenwriter Bob Gale noticed this idea while looking at his father’s high school yearbook. He thought about the fact that his father had once been young, had a school life, and had his own social circle. Then he realized that this idea had not really been used in a film before, and he started working on it with Robert Zemeckis.

But this idea did not turn into a film immediately. Because Zemeckis’ previous two films had failed. Even though Steven Spielberg accepted the role of producer, they thought no studio would want to make the film. So they decided to wait for a while. And this was not a short break either, it lasted around three years.

During this time, another film directed by Zemeckis became successful. After that, it was decided that Back to the Future would finally be made. Disney, the only studio interested in the film, invested in it because the main idea was built around the bond between parents and children.

Robert Zemeckis ve Bob Gale

The First Person Considered For Marty McFly Was Actually Michael J. Fox

One of the early stages of the film was location scouting. While Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, also known as “Bob and Bob,” were looking for suitable locations for the film, they came across Michael J. Fox, who was there for another production.

Contrary to what many people think, the first person considered for the role of Marty McFly was Michael J. Fox. But at the time, he was very busy because he was starring in Family Ties. They assumed he would not accept the role, so they did not even offer it to him.

So filming began with Eric Stoltz as Marty. The first person considered for Doc Brown was Christopher Lloyd, for George McFly it was Crispin Glover, and for Lorraine it was Lea Thompson. In other words, the cast was already very strong from the beginning. Everything seemed to be going quite well.

Until Robert Zemeckis suddenly started to feel that something was wrong.

The Scenes Shot With Eric Stoltz Were Filmed Again

At one point, Zemeckis made a difficult but necessary decision and chose to replace Eric Stoltz with Michael J. Fox. So the possibility they did not even want to think about at first became real. The scenes shot with Stoltz were filmed again with Michael J. Fox.

To be fair, Eric Stoltz does not look bad as Marty at all. When you look at the footage, his version has an interesting side of its own. But still, Michael J. Fox’s contribution to the success of Back to the Future is huge. The energy, pace, panic, and comic helplessness of Marty McFly mostly fall into place through his performance.

This period was extremely exhausting for Michael J. Fox. He had to run from set to set while sleeping only 1 or 2 hours a day. But after reading the script, he became very excited and accepted the role by basically saying that he would do whatever was necessary and that he did not need much sleep anyway.

Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly

H.G. Wells’ Time Machine Concept Was The Basis For The Time Travel Idea

On the time travel side of the film, H.G. Wells’ time machine concept was taken as the foundation. Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis did not really like the idea used in earlier time travel films where the characters traveled through space while traveling through time.

In Back to the Future, time travel happens by changing only the time dimension in four-dimensional space. So the characters stay in the same physical location, but the time changes. This feels like a very logical choice within the film.

Choosing a car as the time machine was not random either. The idea was this: it had to be something invented in a garage, and it had to be mobile. That is why the time machine is not a laboratory device or a fixed machine, but a car.

Choosing The DeLorean As The Time Machine Was One Of The Smartest Decisions In The Film

The choice of the DeLorean as the time machine was also one of the details that changed the fate of the film. Because the DMC DeLorean already looked like a car that had come from the future. With its stainless steel body, gull-wing doors, and strangely futuristic design, it could really look like something that had fallen from space when it arrived in 1955.

That is why the DeLorean became not just a vehicle, but one of the most important parts of the film’s visual identity. There is also a strange irony in the fact that a car which was produced for a very short time and failed to become a major success in the real world turned into the most famous time machine in cinema history. The DeLorean may not have achieved the success expected from it in the automobile world, but thanks to Back to the Future, it became immortal in popular culture.

I had written something about this before too. You can read it here:  ( Delorean: Why Did Back to the Future’s Legendary Car Fail In The Market >> ) and ( The Story Of The DeLorean DMC-12, The Dream Car Of Back To The Future >> )

The technical details were placed on the strange object called the flux capacitor, and that was also a conscious choice. Because the film does not want to get stuck in the technical explanation of time travel. The real subject is Marty’s adventure, the strange bond he forms with his family, and the effects he creates in the past. So the technical explanation is attached to one iconic object. And honestly, it works very well.

The First Audience Did Not Know Where The Film Was Going

At the first screening of the film, nobody in the audience was given any information about the story. In other words, they watched the film without knowing what kind of story they were about to see.

In fact, the scene where Einstein disappears caused a big reaction. Because people did not know what had happened to him, they thought the dog had died. But when Marty went to 1955 and met George McFly in the cafe, the audience started to understand the real idea of the film.

Another interesting observation from Bob Gale was about the different reactions of young and middle-aged viewers in 1985. Young people laughed at many scenes about life in 1955, while middle-aged viewers enjoyed those scenes in a more nostalgic way.

This allowed the film to speak to two different generations at the same time. For young viewers, the film was a funny and fantastic adventure. For older viewers, it was a strange and sweet way of looking back at the past.

The Choice Of 1955 Was Not Random

The year 1955 was not chosen randomly. The reason was that this period was when the concept of the teenager began to emerge and develop in America.

For the first time, teenagers became a group with purchasing power, cultural visibility, and social importance. That is why Marty going back to the youth of his mother and father is meaningful not only for the family story, but also for the rise of youth culture in America.

And of course, the thirty-year gap between 1985 and 1955 creates a very strong foundation for the parent-child concept. When Marty is pulled out of his own time and sent into the youth of his mother and father, the generational difference creates both comedy and emotional conflict.

The First Film Was Not Originally Planned As A Trilogy

Today, when people think of Back to the Future, they naturally think of the trilogy. But the interesting part is that the first film was not originally planned as the beginning of a trilogy.

The other films in the trilogy are called Part II and Part III. But the first film is simply called Back to the Future. It is not called Back to the Future Part I. The reason is that the film was not planned as a trilogy at first.

In fact, Robert Zemeckis’ only expectation from the film was that it would make back its budget. He later said that if he had known he would make a sequel, he would never have put Jennifer in that car.

Because Marty and Doc Brown could be thrown into any kind of adventure. But Jennifer being there created a problem for the sequel from the very beginning.

According to Zemeckis, the flying DeLorean was also a kind of joke and reference. He did not actually want to make a film set in the future. Because he knew that most predictions about the future would turn out to be wrong. For him, our ideas about the future usually do not go much further than what we already know today.

What Still Makes Back To The Future So Appealing?

The thing that perhaps attracts all of us to Back to the Future, but is not said out loud very often, is that it shows us that our parents were once like us. This idea may look simple, but it is very powerful. Because as children, we usually know our parents only as adults. We do not really think of them as young, clumsy, scared, excited, shy, or dreamy people.

The film shows this through Marty. When Marty gets lost in time, he does not only go to the past. He also goes to the roots of his own family, to the younger versions of his mother and father, and to the point where his own existence began.

Maybe what attracts us is watching an ordinary kid turn into a hero after getting lost in time. Maybe it is wanting to believe that something called a time machine could really be invented one day. Maybe it is the DeLorean. Maybe it is Doc Brown. Maybe it is the 1955 atmosphere. Maybe it is all of them.

But one thing is true: Back to the Future is also a part of being a child in the 80s and early 90s. It is one of the important details of childhood. We were kids back then, many years have passed, and we have watched so many films since. But there are still very few films that can put you in the same mood when you watch them again.

Back to the Future is one of them.