海角大神

The future is here 鈥� well, maybe not flying cars.

Today, movie fans are celebrating "Back to the Future" Day, pegged to the date on which 鈥淏ack鈥� characters Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) arrive in what was then 鈥渢he future.鈥� In the movie 鈥淏ack to the Future Part II,鈥� Marty, his time-traveling friend Doc, and Marty鈥檚 future wife, Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue), travel to the year 2015 in order to see what鈥檚 happening with Marty and Jennifer鈥檚 family.聽

The 鈥淏ack鈥� series were big hits, with the first film, which was released in 1985 and centers on Marty time-traveling back to the 1950s and ensuring his parents get together, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year. The next two movies didn鈥檛 equal the predecessor鈥檚 take at the box office, but still did fairly well.

Thirty years after the original movie鈥檚 release, various 鈥淏ack鈥� events and promotions that are going on include the transportation company Lyft using DeLoreans (the car used to create Doc鈥檚 time machine) for rides, the soda company Pepsi creating the Pepsi Perfect drink seen in 鈥淏ack to the Future Part II,鈥� and movie theaters across the country screening 鈥淏ack to the Future鈥� and 鈥淏ack to the Future Part II.鈥�

If various businesses are betting on the fact that fans will take them up on these offers, the affection for these movies must be pretty strong. What makes the 鈥淏ack鈥� series, in particular the first film, so beloved decades later?聽

Actress Lea Thompson, who portrays Marty鈥檚 mother, discussed the appeal of the film and its positive message in an for the 25th anniversary of the first film, referencing the fact that the movie has Marty meet his parents when they were his own age and how Marty鈥檚 father, George (Crispin Glover), finally wins over his mother by defending her from bully Biff Tannen (Thomas Wilson).

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 maybe the reason people like to show it to their kids, because it is showing that a) your parents were once young and full of dreams and b) that little things that happen in your life 鈥� little moments of standing up for yourself can change your whole life,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ittle moments do add up to big changes. That鈥檚 a very profound thing to learn.鈥澛�

Lloyd he thinks the science fiction aspect of the film hooked people as well.

鈥淓verybody dreams about time travel,鈥� he said.聽