Zemeckis' film became one of the most successful of the 1980s at the box office and critically. He blends action, comedy, romance in a way that brings meaning...even with an Oedipal theme with Marty and Lorraine in 1955. Zemeckis' influence came from script to screen. He along with Bob Gale came up with the original concept together and shopped the film around Hollywood since 1981. Every major studio turned the project down and it was only after Zemeckis' success with directing Romancing the Stone that he approached Steven Spielberg to produce the film as he didn't want his career to hinge on being Spielberg's buddy.
Back to the Future was also successful due to the special effects in the film with the DeLorean being able to "time-travel". Zemeckis' commitment to furthering film through the advancing technology is evident in this film and was furthered as his career progressed. Most importantly for this film Zemeckis utilizes every scene to reveal character and themes. In the opening scene, we see clocks strewn about Doc's lab to represent that this film is about time and the slow nature at which it ticks away until in one fail swoop what seems like one hundred clocks go off simultaneously. Like life our days seems to go by so slow until we are, well where we are for better or worse. And this plays into George and Lorraine's lives as they are seen as being run over by life.
Moreover, Marty's journey from 1955 back to 1985 not only saved Doc's life but strengthened the vibrance within his mother and father so that when he returns to them they are truly living life and not bound by their fears which have left them incapacitated. Most interestingly, the film doesn't set out to change the past but rather maintain it. In a world where everyone desires to redo their lives, the protagonist of this film seeks to make sure that nothing changes.
