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Ask someone who Marty McFly is, or what speed Doc Brown's time machine has to reach before it can travel through time and there is a good chance they will know. They will also know that both characters and the time machine starred in the "Back to the Future" trilogy of movies, one of the most successful trilogies in movie history. Truth is there were no original plans to do a trilogy, however. Read on and discover the interesting facts behind the movies, and why we so dearly love them in the first of a three-part series on the trilogy.

A SHAKY BEGINNING

Back To The Future became a script as far back as 1981. The script, although slightly revised was shopped around as early as 1983 by Bob Gale and Neil Canton. Steven Spielberg showed interest in the script. However, it was decided that the project would be put on hold due to disappointing returns on a couple of recent projects.

About a year later, the movie was picked up by Steven Spielberg and Back To The Future was ready to go into production with Robert Zemeckis directing. Writer Bob Gale and Neil Canton would be producing. Christopher Lloyd came on board to play the part of Doc Brown. To the derision of Gale and Canton, Eric Stoltz was to play the part of Marty McFly. (Eric, I apologize if I butchered your name. --Ed.)

Production started with Eric shortly thereafter. However, a number of events transpired to raise the need for a different actor. Gale returned to his first choice for Marty, a formerly unavailable Michael J. Fox. Fox had been working on Family Ties when it had come time to cast the role of Marty. He was still doing so when Gale approached him, but after a short negotiation with the show's producer, Fox was granted what would turn out to be one of his greatest roles.

Based both on their recent successes and less recent failures, Gale and Canton were hoping for Back To The Future to at least break even. They grew more worried when the movie received excellent reviews from critics. Most people might be surprised to hear this. One must realize that both of the movies that lost money had received excellent reviews as well.

All doubts were set aside when the movie was released. It was an instant success at the box office, raking in impressive earnings for that time. The movie remained in the number one spot for several weeks before being knocked down to the number two spot. The movie performed better than anyone could have ever hoped.

WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?

It all started with a simple concept: What would it be like if you could travel back in time and go to school with your dad? What resulted was a whirlwind story that thrust Marty McFly thirty years into the past and stuck him there with no way to get back. Through a series of amazing events, he is ushered back to the future and into a new, improved life he could never have imagined.

One of the greatest misconceptions of Back To The Future is that it's a special effects movie. While the time machine and time travel are beautiful to see and wonderfully executed, they are only a means to an end. In addition, it should be noted that special effects only appear in the beginning and ending of the film. The movie is dominantly character driven. Therein can be found the key to the movie's success.

The movie is not so much of a story being told than a series of events unfolding themselves as you watch. It's as if Gale and crew took a week out of time and put it to celluloid. All the events that take place are seamlessly woven together. Visual clues and dialogue foreshadow future circumstances that make you sit up and take notice of what is taking place. The movie can be watched a number of times, and unnoticed details will continue to reveal themselves.

The characters in Back To The Future are what truly brings the movie alive. George McFly discovers his manhood through the help of his own son, and finds the confidence to share his works of fiction with others. He becomes a popular writer in the future as a result. On the other hand, Biff Tannen is robbed of his manhood by George McFly, resulting in a broken and skittish auto detailer in 1985. In the process, not only does Marty end up endearing his mother to the name of "Marty," but he also manages to invent rock and roll.

The way these events are portrayed pulls us into the story and makes us truly interested in the characters. For most, the thought of anyone besides Michael J. Fox playing Marty McFly would seem absolutely ludicrous today. Therefore it is no small thanks to the actors for bringing the characters, and the movie to life in a way that no one else could.

TIME TRAVEL MADE EASY

"You're telling me you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?" This is perhaps one of the most popular quotations from the movie. And as Doc Brown said, "I figured if you're going to build a time machine, why not do it with some style!" Fans around the world could not agree more. True fans know that a sportscar time machine also solved a dilemma.

It was decided early on that the time machine would have to be invented by a blue collar, crackpot scientist in his garage. Therefore the original time machine was to be nothing more than a glorified refrigerator. It was a short time later that the producers realized it would be less than a good idea to encourage kids to hop into an old refrigerator in the hopes of traveling back in time.

They also realized that if you were going to build a time machine, it would be a good idea to be mobile. Since this was to be the case, they decided that John DeLorean's DMC-12 had just the right futuristic kind of look. Thus, Doc Brown's time machine was born. All they had to do was figure out how the thing worked.

Since the time machine was built in a garage out of radio shack parts and junk yard rejects, it would look complicated but be simple to operate. Turn on the time circuits, enter your destination time, and make sure to charge the reactor chamber with a little plutonium. Just make sure you don't forget to bring some extra along! You wouldn't want to get stuck in the past, now would you?

As we all know, that's precisely what happened to Marty McFly in the movie. It was also a sticking point for Gale and Canton. They decided that Marty would get back to the future by utilizing a nuclear explosion at a Nevada nuclear test facility. Doc was supposed to have worked at the test facility. The opening scene was even supposed to be of Marty learning about nuclear testing at school. The idea was scrapped when it proved too expensive to fit into the movie's limited budget. The opening scene with the clocks was a last-minute shoot.

In the end, the use of the lightning strike that hits the clock tower to return to the future works much better for the entire film, and not just the end. It adds suspense as Marty clamors to make a couple out of his mother and father before racing to reach Doc in time for the lightning strike. The lightning idea also allows Marty to stay in Hill Valley so that he might see Doc get shot and watch himself travel through time.

Doc would of course travel through time himself at the end of the movie. He also uttered what is arguably the most famous line from all three films, "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." A flying DeLorean coupled with the fact that Marty's girlfriend Jennifer was accompanying them would lead to future headaches when it came time for a sequel.

That story is for another time, however. As we all know, it turned out for the better anyway. Careers were made, reputations established, and a historic movie was in the can. It was only a matter of time before the guys upstairs came knocking on Bob Gale's and Neil Canton's doors, demanding a script for the big Back To The Future script. Gale and Canton would deliver, and would do so in ways no one could ever imagine.

FUN FACTS

Here are some little-known secrets of Back To The Future, just for fun!

-Marty was originally supposed to see his mother cheating on a test in high school back in 1955.

-A scene with the 1955 Doc Brown looking in his 1985 counterpart's suitcase was cut at the last minute.

-The tape Marty puts in the Walkman in the famous "Darth Vader" scene says Eddie VAN HALEN. This was due to the fact that Eddie Van Halen was the only band member willing to allow the band name in the movie.

-Michael J. Fox had played guitar in a band before making the movie. The person that gave him lessons on the set can be seen to Marty's right in the "Battle of the Bands" audition in the beginning of the film.

-Fox also learned to skateboard for the film. When asked about all of the things he learned making the movies, he admits that he's forgotten how to do all of them.

-The DeLorean proves rather unreliable in the movie. It was no different in reality. The cars used had underpowered, four-cylinder Volvo engines, and were prone to not starting.

-If you look closely, you can also see that the DeLorean's doors sag significantly throughout the movie. Both Lloyd and Fox can be seen bumping their heads on the door at different points in the movie.

-The same dealership that was selling Marty's Toyota pick-up was selling cars in 1955. They were a Studebaker dealership.

-When filming the "parking" scene with Marty and Loraine, real alcohol was placed in the flask Michael J. Fox drank from. The reaction you see in the movie is a real one.

-If you look closely at Marty's disappearing hand in the scene at the "Enchantment Under The Sea" dance, it's actually a hole opening in his hand from the middle, outwards.

IN COMING WEEKS:

Idiopathy continues its three part series on The Magic Of "The Back To The Future" Trilogy with Part 2: The Special Effects Extravaganza "Back To The Future II." I'll take a look at what went into the film, as well as what made it another classic. TO BE CONTINUED...