WhileBack to the Futurehas a perfect ending, the classic movie’s fitting conclusion only came about because of budgetary constraints.Back to the Future’s production was infamously troubled, to say the least. The movie’s original script was a bawdy R-rated teen comedy in the vein ofPorky’sand much of its rude humor was cut during the revision process. Numerous scenes were shot with Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly before the filmmakers decided to go in a different direction, resulting in costly re-shoots. Meanwhile,castingBack to the Future’s Doc Browntook a long time.
Luckily, the finished movie turned out to be a modern classic, andEric Stoltz’s post-Back to the Futurecareerproved that he didn’t suffer as a result of his recasting. Nowadays,Back to the Futureis considered one of the best blockbusters of the ‘80s, but its messy production bled into the script in ways few viewers would expect. A shot of a drunk vagrant asleep on a bench emblazoned with California Raisins was the result of a paid product placement deal the filmmakers made before realizing that raisins didn’t look particularly appealing, or edible, onscreen.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Back To The Future Trilogy
Some elements of the famous Back to the Future trilogy have not aged well or constitute major plot holes, with more harsh realities becoming clear.
Back To The Future’s Original Ending Was Scrapped For Being Too Expensive
The ‘80s Classic’s Original Ending Was Set At A Nuclear Test Site
Similarly, the movie’s co-creator Bob Gale noted in the “Making The Trilogy” featurette thatBack to the Future’s original ending involved a trip to a nuclear test site.The ending that viewers got, an iconic sequence involving the Hill Valley Clocktower, only came about when the producers realized the planned ending was prohibitively expensive. Gale explained that the DeLorean originally needed nuclear power, so Marty and Doc needed to visit a nuclear test site for the final sequence. This idea was scrapped because it was too expensive, but the finished ending was far more thematically appropriate for the movie.
Hill Valley is central to the story, so the centerpiece of Marty’s suburban hometown playing a role in the finale feels perfectly fitting.
Back to the Future’s entire story centers on fixing the lives ofMarty McFly’s parentsso that life in Hill Valley is bearable for the teen. Hill Valley is central to the story, so the centerpiece of Marty’s suburban hometown playing a role in the finale feels perfectly fitting. As theBack to the Futureseries continues, Doc and Marty repeatedly return to Hill Valley at different time periods, including the near future and the Wild West era. The location of Hill Valley is pivotal in Marty’s journey from a rash, impulsive teen into a mature young adult.
Back To The Future’s Clock Tower Ending Is Much Better Than The Original Finale
Back To The Future’s Ending Highlights Its Small-Town Suburban Setting
1985’s originalBack to the Futureearned over $380 million on a budget of only $19 million.
As such, it is tough to imagine the original movie ending elsewhere. The suburban setting ofBack to the Futureis as central to the movie’s appeal as the similar settings ofE.T. The Extra-TerrestrialandThe Goonies. In all three cases, these suburban settings come to symbolize the space between the wild rurality of childhood and the corporate urban world of adulthood for their heroes.Back to the Future’s unused endingwould have ruined this symbolism and inadvertently made Hill Valley less central to the sequels as a result. Thus, budgetary issues improvedBack to the Future.
