Back to the Future?

It’s scary to think that we are now further away from 1985 (the time when the movie is set) than 1985 was from 1955. Marty McFly, the main character played by Michael J. Fox, time travels back to 1955 and helps his then-teenage parents get together.

Are we now culturally (as well as temporally) more distant from 1985 than 1985 was from 1955? Hard to say. But I tentatively think the answer is “no.” The period from 1955 to 1985 saw enormous change in the social roles of women and blacks. The 1985-2023 transformation in the status of LGBT people is similar, but less significant because the group in question is so much smaller (about 3% of the population versus almost 60% for blacks and women). There have been major technological shifts since 1985. But those in the previous 30 years were actually at least comparably great.

Finally, the most inexplicable plot hole in Back to the Future: George and Lorraine never seem to notice that their son Marty looks exactly like their long-lost friend “Calvin Klein.” Given that “Calvin” briefly dated Lorraine before she gets together with George, I would expect the latter to suspect his wife might have had an affair with her ex (thus explaining why Marty looks much more like “Calvin” than his father). This explanation would seem far more plausible than the truth (Calvin and Marty are the same person).