It’s hard to talk about Back to the Future Part III without talking about Part II. The nice thing about the two films being filmed back to back is that there is a lot of connectivity and foreshadowing. Some instances of foreshadowing include prominent storylines as well as subtle items. Subtle instances of foreshadowing include the scene in Part II where Marty is watching the video at Biff’s casino and it mentions his grandfather, Buford ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen (the antagonist in Part III). Another great callback occurs between Parts II and III. When 1985A Biff is watching a movie in the hot tub with the scantily clad women, he is watching a Clint Eastwood western. I can’t remember which one, but I know it is one of the Dollars trilogy. Anyway, Eastwood is shot in a duel, only to reveal an iron plate hidden under his clothes. Biff laughs hysterically and praises the genius move. Flash forward (or is it technically a flashback) to Part III. When Buford shoots Marty in a duel in 1885, Marty survives the shot the same way Eastwood did, with an iron board under his clothes. Not to mention, Marty used the alias “Clint Eastwood” in 1885.
Another good use of foreshadowing involves a storyline running between the two films. In the second film, Jennifer overhears 2015 Lorraine telling her granddaughter that Marty’s life was drastically altered after a car accident. Marty’s kryptonite is when someone challenges his bravery by calling him a wimp or a chicken. It is alluded to that this accident injured his hands, therefore not allowing him to continue to pursue music, but also derailed his professional ambitions. Instead, he works for Needles (Flea), who convinces Marty to participate in white-collar crimes and eventually loses his job as a result. The irony is here that Marty is the pushover George was at the start of the original, something Marty vowed he would never be. Another irony is that it is Doc Brown, of all people, the man who is weary about people learning too much about their future, who informs Marty of his crash.
Let’s talk about Doc here for a second. These movies belong to Michael J. Fox. He is the undisputed star here, but I want to take a moment to single out Christopher Lloyd’s whacky and brilliant portrayal. As versatile a performer as Lloyd is, this will always be the role he is associated with, and for good reason. You can’t have a Back to the Future movie with just Marty. He and Doc are an iconic duo. After all, Lloyd shares above the title billing with Fox on the poster for the sequels. And while Doc has been a major part in each film, Part III is where he shines. Gale and Zemeckis allow the audience to learn more about Doc by providing him with a love interest, Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Suddenly, this man who is all science and seriousness, has fallen deeply in love. So much so that he wants to stay in 1885 with her and it drives him to the saloon when she rejects him after he tries to come clean. Doc has to bury his sorrow in whiskey, a single shot to be exact. That’s all he needs to knock him out.
I need to talk about the other cast members. Steenburgen is wonderful as Clayton, a school teacher who narrowly avoids being thrown over a ravine. Her sweet demeanor and affinity for science bring out the best in Doc, whom she lovingly calls by his first name (Emmett). Thomas F. Wilson, whether he is playing Biff, Griff, or Buford Tannen, looks to be having a blast. I also appreciate that the trio of cronies that follow Biff/Buford are played by the same actors in different eras (Billy Zane, Jeffrey Jay Cohen, and Casey Siemaszko). James Tolkan showing up as Marshal Strickland, an ancestor of Principal Strickland (also played by Tolkan) is a nice touch. Meanwhile, Lea Thompson, who plays Lorraine, found her screen time reduced. She did show up as Lorraine for one scene at the end of the film, but she also played the small role of Maggie McFly, Marty’s great-grandma. Part of me wishes that they cast someone else. I loved her as Lorraine, but it was distracting to see her play that part. If that is my chief complaint about the movie, I suppose that’s not too bad.
I want to reiterate something I said earlier. As much as I believe the film should have been left alone, I do think the sequels are a blast. I found myself on the edge of my seat, so to speak, as I watched Doc try to save Clara on the train while Marty was in the DeLorean trying to get it up to 88. When he finally succeeds and they fly away on the hoverboard Marty stole from 2015, my heart raced. Of course, Marty does eventually make it back to the future one last time. The film wraps things up nicely by allowing the time machine to be destroyed and allowing Marty to reunite with Jennifer, whom he left back in 1985A. Finally, Marty has the insight not to drag race Needles, allowing him to avoid the aforementioned car wreck and thus altering his future. Before fading to black, the film treats us to one final scene with Doc. He, Clara, and his two young boys (Jules and Verne) show up on a train converted into a time machine. He assures Marty that he is happy and tells the young couple that their future is not yet written, so they better make it a good one. The movie ends as the train flies off, leaving Marty and Jennifer holding hands, dreaming of their future. For a trilogy that takes place over a century, but also only a day in real-time (think about it), it’s the perfect ending to a series that makes my heart leap with joy.
June 9, 2024: The audience has dwindled over the last two weeks, but I still had a great time. That final train sequence had me on the edge of my seat, literally. Those final words of Doc’s, “Your future is not yet written, so make it a good one,” stuck with me as I left the theater. As I walked to my car, I felt invigorated. Despite my lifelong desire to be a screenwriter, there have been times when I wonder if the pursuit of screenwriting is worth it, at least compared to writing novels. This trilogy and the experience of seeing it on the big screen reaffirmed to me the magic of cinema. I am not sure what else I can say. Seeing these films on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen, is an experience I will always treasure.