Back to the Future (1985)

Undoubtedly Back to the Future remains an iconic film representation of the 1980s, and perhaps also one of the most critically acclaimed films ever. The director Robert Zemeckis encapsulates this era perfectly along with involving everything that the average viewer would love in an American blockbuster.

The Library of Congress stated that this film was "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant". Culturally this is shown through the contrast of how the film starts and ends, with Marty's Father and Mother living somewhat unfulfilled lives, and the latter being a depressed alcoholic. The ending of the film shows his parents and siblings to be successful 'Yuppies', which perhaps reflects the societal issues for middle-class families during the 1980s.

This film will forever be historically impactful because, as Reagan put it in his 1986 State of the Union Address, "Never has there been a more exciting time to be a live, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement...". News jobs, increase in wages and technological advancements were occurring dramatically in this stage of American history as the film very much portrays. The 'cassette era', some may call it, became hugely influential as a generation of people began to see an inventory that could become available for constant innovation and progress. Writer and editor, Tim Carmody, goes as far to argue that Back to the Future is an early instance of a Generation X film, a generation that was largely sceptical about where their careers would go, yet Marty the 'skateboarding slacker' takes part in the ideology that "the only way to remake the future is to mine and recombine the past." The film therefore shows the opportunity and imagination you can have in America with the DeLorean being a key metaphor for this, however it also conveys the uncertainty and directionless of some families at the start of the film.

Lastly, the film must be seen as aesthetically significant simply because of how unequivocally awesome it is to watch. Even more so for those who would have contemporarily watched it as this film had it all; groundbreaking special effects, highly tangible soundtrack, a sound director, and popular young lead in Michael J. Fox.