Time and time again, we keep going “back” to Back to the Future, a true classic and easily one of the most enjoyable movies ever made. And even 40 years removed from the original’s release, it will always be Michael J. Fox’s definitive role. And Christopher Lloyd’s and Lea Thompson’s and Thomas F. Wilson’s and…And Fox seems to be totally fine with that, knowing the movie will continue to build its legacy as fans keeping sharing it.
Speaking with the Associated Press, Fox said of his Back to the Future fanbase, “I’ll be on the street and some kid will go, ‘There’s Marty McFly!’ No, this is an old man…Sometimes I look at it and think about my family. I think about how I have a 37-year-old son who wasn’t born yet. It’s a long time ago.”
As far as why he thinks people are still drawn to Back to the Future, Fox added, “The distance between now and 1985 is greater than the distance between 1985 and 1955. In a way, that makes it more accessible. People aren’t locked into their time period. They’re not saying: This is real, this isn’t real. It’s all fantasy.”
It’s pretty great to see that Fox still recognizes the staying power that Back to the Future has and that he stays in touch with many of his castmates (and even buried a purported hatchet with one-time Marty McFly Eric Stoltz). Heck, he even finds himself watching the movie himself if it’s on TV even if it’s an inconvenience to others. “I tell this one story about one Christmas when we were decorating the tree, I went to get some popcorn and heard the opening on the TV. I sat down and watched it. An hour later, my wife said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I’m watching “Back to the Future.” And, you know, it’s really good. I’m good in it.’ Watching it on Christmas Eve, with a bowl of popcorn, I really loved it.”
Why do you think Back to the Future endures four decades later? What makes it so special to you? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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