Back to the Future Part II
(1989)
PG | 108 mins | Science fiction, Fantasy | 22 November 1989
Directors:
Robert Zemeckis, Max KlevenWriters:
Bob Gale, Robert ZemeckisProducers:
Bob Gale, Neil CantonCinematographer:
Dean CundeyEditors:
Arthur Schmidt, Harry KeramidasProduction Designer:
Rick CarterProduction Companies:
Universal PicturesThe film ends with a title card that reads “To Be Concluded,” followed by scenes from Back to the Future Part III (1990, see entry), which commenced filming eight days after principal photography was completed on Back to the Future Part II.
End credits contain the following acknowledgements for excerpts used in the film: “Smurfs clip provided by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and Lafig, S. A.; Scenes from Cheers, Family Ties, Taxi, courtesy of Paramount Pictures Corporation; Prerecorded videotape supplied by CNN, © Cable News Network, Inc. 1989, All Rights Reserved; Scenes from Oprah Winfrey Show, courtesy of King World Productions, Inc.; Scenes from Geraldo Rivera Show, courtesy of Tribune Entertainment Company; Excerpts from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, courtesy of Pee-Wee Pictures, Inc.; Tape excerpt from Wheel of Fortune, courtesy of Califon Productions, Inc.; Scenes from Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I., courtesy of Universal City Studios, Inc.; Scenes from Dallas, courtesy of Warner Bros. Television Distribution; Scenes from A Fistful of Dollars, courtesy of Unidis S.R.L. and United Artists Pictures, Inc.; Additional footage courtesy of Dreamlight Images, Inc., Fish Films, Inc., Wesley Archer, and The Weather Channel.”
According to production notes found at AMPAS library, Michael J. Fox first learned about a possible sequel to Back to the Future (1985, see entry) when watching the home video version that contained a title card, reading, “To Be Continued”; the title card had not appeared on the original film prints, and Fox immediately contacted his agent, excited to reunite with director Robert Zemeckis ...
The film ends with a title card that reads “To Be Concluded,” followed by scenes from Back to the Future Part III (1990, see entry), which commenced filming eight days after principal photography was completed on Back to the Future Part II.
End credits contain the following acknowledgements for excerpts used in the film: “Smurfs clip provided by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and Lafig, S. A.; Scenes from Cheers, Family Ties, Taxi, courtesy of Paramount Pictures Corporation; Prerecorded videotape supplied by CNN, © Cable News Network, Inc. 1989, All Rights Reserved; Scenes from Oprah Winfrey Show, courtesy of King World Productions, Inc.; Scenes from Geraldo Rivera Show, courtesy of Tribune Entertainment Company; Excerpts from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, courtesy of Pee-Wee Pictures, Inc.; Tape excerpt from Wheel of Fortune, courtesy of Califon Productions, Inc.; Scenes from Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I., courtesy of Universal City Studios, Inc.; Scenes from Dallas, courtesy of Warner Bros. Television Distribution; Scenes from A Fistful of Dollars, courtesy of Unidis S.R.L. and United Artists Pictures, Inc.; Additional footage courtesy of Dreamlight Images, Inc., Fish Films, Inc., Wesley Archer, and The Weather Channel.”
According to production notes found at AMPAS library, Michael J. Fox first learned about a possible sequel to Back to the Future (1985, see entry) when watching the home video version that contained a title card, reading, “To Be Continued”; the title card had not appeared on the original film prints, and Fox immediately contacted his agent, excited to reunite with director Robert Zemeckis and his fellow cast members. Writer Bob Gale stated that the final scene in Back to the Future in which “Dr. ‘Doc’ Emmett Brown,” “Marty McFly,” and Marty’s girlfriend “Jennifer” board the time machine for a trip into the future was “simply a joke,” explaining that neither he nor Zemeckis were envisioning a sequel at the time. According to a 20 Nov 1989 LAT article, when Universal Pictures first approached Zemeckis to make a sequel, the director was not sure of his interest; however, he agreed to direct the film after it became apparent that Universal planned to produce it with or without him. With plans for Back to the Future Part II underway, filmmakers retrieved costumes and props from Back to the Future and secured locations that were used in the original film, including Whittier High School in Whittier, CA, and the First United Methodist Church in Hollywood, CA.
As stated in production notes, Zemeckis approached Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to modify the “computer-operated camera” he had used in scenes between live actors and animated characters on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988, see entry); for Back to the Future Part II, Zemeckis wanted the camera system to be more mobile and fluid, so ILM provided him with the newly designed VistaGlide system.
The 20 Nov 1989 LAT article reported that the budgets for both Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III amounted to $80 million, with the filmmakers allegedly saving $10-15 million by shooting the two films back-to-back. Gale also pointed out that Fox played a high-school-aged character in both sequels, so they needed to complete production on the trilogy sooner than later. For six weeks of production, Fox filmed nights on Back to the Future Part II while taping the final season of the television series Family Ties (NBC, 22 Sep 1982--17 Sep 1989) during the day.
A 25 May 1990 HR item described the grueling production schedule on Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III. The third and final film in the trilogy began production only eight days after principal photography on the second had ended. A limited amount of scenes from Back to the Future Part III were shot during principal photography on Back to the Future Part II, as stated in Martin A. Grove’s 20 Apr 1990 HR “Hollywood Report” column. On Back to the Future Part III, Zemeckis worked eighteen-hour days as he was simultaneously shooting the third while editing the second. According to production notes, actor Thomas F. Wilson had a particularly demanding schedule on Back to the Future Part II, reporting to set at 3:00am for makeup on the days he had to play “old Biff” as well as “young Biff” or Biff’s grandson “Griff.”
Editing took place in a trailer on the set of Back to the Future Part III, as well as at a facility near the set in Sonora, CA, and in Burbank, CA, as stated in the 25 May 1990 HR.
A 19 Jun 1989 People item pointed out that a theater marquee seen in the film’s 2015 version of downtown Hill Valley advertises an upcoming film, Jaws 19, directed by Max Spielberg; Max is the name of executive producer and Jaws director Steven Spielberg’s son.
As stated in a 9 Jan 1991 DV article, Crispin Glover, who played “George McFly” in Back to the Future, did not reprise his role in the sequel after squabbling with the producers over salary. In turn, the filmmakers used existing footage of Glover from the original film, in addition to hiring Jeffrey Weissman, an actor and skilled impersonator, applying prosthetics to his face so he would look like Glover. A 21 Nov 1989 DV news brief stated that Glover had seen Back to the Future II and had not registered any complaints about his portrayal in the film, with his representative adding that Glover’s refusal to reprise his role had been “amicable”; however, the actor later sued Universal Studios, Amblin Entertainment, and U-Drive Productions for $1 million, accusing them of using his likeness and voice, and received an undisclosed settlement from Universal City Studios, Inc., as reported in a 2 Jul 1991 HR news item.
According to a 7 Dec 1989 LAT brief, toy versions of the DeLorean, the vehicle used for Doc’s time machine, were sold at over 400 Toys R Us stores in conjunction with the film’s release, and John DeLorean, the creator of the vehicle, was set to receive five percent of the profits from toy sales. Also to promote Back to the Future Part II, a 12 Nov 1989 LAT news item noted that three billboards with “giant digital clocks counting back the hours” until the film’s opening had been erected, two in Los Angeles, CA, and one in New York City’s Times Square. Other promotions included: “futuristic sunglasses” offered alongside certain menu items at Pizza Hut; a “Back to the Future” fan club that charged a $9.95 membership fee; and a novelization available in bookstores as of Oct 1989.
Critical reception was mixed. In her 22 Nov 1989 LAT review, Sheila Benson, who had panned the first film, described the sequel as a “pleasant surprise” but criticized the preview scenes from Back to the Future Part III that appear at the end of the film, deeming them a “shockingly tacky coda.” Both the 21 Nov 1989 HR and 22 Nov 1989 Var reviews noted that the sequel lacked the warmth of the original, and Var accused Dean Cundey’s cinematography of being “a generally unattractive set of images.” In a 3 Oct 1997 Screen International item, Zemeckis was quoted as saying that Back to the Future Part II was “a completely misunderstood film,” calling it “the closest I ever made to a Godard film.”
The film received an Academy Award nomination for Visual Effects.
According to a 24 Nov 1989 LAT news brief, Back to the Future Part II took in $7 million in box-office receipts on its opening day, marking “the biggest Wednesday [opening] in the history of the motion picture business.” On 9 Jan 1990, HR announced that the film’s worldwide box-office gross had exceeded $200 million, with domestic box-office earnings reported as $116.4 million by a 30 May 1990 LAT article.
An 11 Sep 2011 LAT article announced that the Nike Mag, a shoe worn by Marty McFly in the year 2015, was unveiled on 8 Sep 2011 in Los Angeles, CA. Fifteen hundred pairs of the shoes were set to be auctioned on Ebay, with proceeds going toward the Michael J. Fox Foundation, dedicated to Parkinson’s disease research, and the first pair sold for $37,500 to Tinie Tempah, a rap music star, according to a 26 Sep 2011 Time brief.
Back to the Future Part II was re-released along with Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part III on 24 May 1990, one day before the wide release of Back to the Future Part III, as stated in the 9 May 1990 HR news item. Tickets for the triple feature were set at the regular admission price for one film.
On 26 October 1985, Doctor “Doc” Emmett Brown returns from a trip to the future and commands teenager Marty McFly, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, to get into his time machine, warning that Marty and Jennifer’s future children are in danger. The three take off and arrive in the year 2015. Doc uses an “alpha rhythm generator” to put Jennifer to sleep, telling Marty that he is protecting her from learning too much about the future. Marty gawks at hovercrafts flying past as Doc lands in Hill Valley, Marty’s hometown. Getting out of the time machine, Doc instructs Marty to change into a set of clothes that matches the wardrobe of Marty’s future son, Marty Junior. Doc then tells Marty to go to Café 80s around the corner and pose as Marty Junior while Doc detains the real Marty Junior, saying that someone named Griff is due to arrive there and ask Marty Junior if he is “in or out.” Marty must respond that he is “out” in order to save Marty Junior from being arrested and sentenced to fifteen years in prison, thus initiating a string of unfortunate events that will negatively impact Marty and Jennifer’s family. To prove that the matter is urgent, Doc shows Marty a newspaper headline from the next day announcing Marty Junior’s arrest. Doc pulls Jennifer, who is still asleep, out of the time machine, lays her on a pile of boxes, and rushes to intercept Marty Junior. Meanwhile, disguised as his own son, Marty walks into Café 80s and Griff soon appears, demanding that his grandfather, Biff Tannen, apply another coat of wax to his hovercraft. Despite Doc’s efforts to detain him, Marty ...
On 26 October 1985, Doctor “Doc” Emmett Brown returns from a trip to the future and commands teenager Marty McFly, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, to get into his time machine, warning that Marty and Jennifer’s future children are in danger. The three take off and arrive in the year 2015. Doc uses an “alpha rhythm generator” to put Jennifer to sleep, telling Marty that he is protecting her from learning too much about the future. Marty gawks at hovercrafts flying past as Doc lands in Hill Valley, Marty’s hometown. Getting out of the time machine, Doc instructs Marty to change into a set of clothes that matches the wardrobe of Marty’s future son, Marty Junior. Doc then tells Marty to go to Café 80s around the corner and pose as Marty Junior while Doc detains the real Marty Junior, saying that someone named Griff is due to arrive there and ask Marty Junior if he is “in or out.” Marty must respond that he is “out” in order to save Marty Junior from being arrested and sentenced to fifteen years in prison, thus initiating a string of unfortunate events that will negatively impact Marty and Jennifer’s family. To prove that the matter is urgent, Doc shows Marty a newspaper headline from the next day announcing Marty Junior’s arrest. Doc pulls Jennifer, who is still asleep, out of the time machine, lays her on a pile of boxes, and rushes to intercept Marty Junior. Meanwhile, disguised as his own son, Marty walks into Café 80s and Griff soon appears, demanding that his grandfather, Biff Tannen, apply another coat of wax to his hovercraft. Despite Doc’s efforts to detain him, Marty Junior also arrives at the café, causing Marty to panic and hide. Griff asks Marty Junior if he is “in or out” for that night, and after being thrown behind the counter, Marty Junior says he’s in and passes out. Marty steals Marty Junior’s baseball cap and pops up from behind the counter, telling Griff he is out. A fight ensues, and Griff chases Marty outside. Marty steals a child’s hoverboard, a skateboard that flies, and leads Griff’s gang on a chase. Although Marty’s hoverboard becomes disabled by water when he flies over a lake, Marty dips into the water as Griff’s gang approaches, sending Griff through the window of the courthouse. On his way to meet Doc, Marty buys a sports almanac that covers the years 1950-2000, planning to make money back in 1985 by betting on the winners named in the book. When he and Doc reunite, Marty notices Doc’s newspaper has changed: a headline about Griff’s hoverboard accident has replaced the story about Marty Junior’s arrest. Rejoicing, Doc says they must retrieve Jennifer and return to 1985; however, discovering Marty’s sports almanac, Doc insists that the time machine must not be used for financial gain and throws the book away. Around the corner, Doc and Marty see Jennifer, still unconscious, being arrested by two police officers. Concerned that the police will take her back to the McFly home in Hilldale, Doc says they must keep Jennifer from meeting her future self or the space-time continuum could be forever disrupted. After eavesdropping on the conversation and learning about Doc’s time machine, Biff steals the sports almanac from the trash and follows Doc and Marty in a taxi. Arriving in Hilldale, Doc orders Marty to stay by the vehicle as he walks to the McFly home. Meanwhile, Jennifer wakes up in the McFly home and hides when she hears the voice of her future daughter, Marlene McFly. Marty’s parents, Lorraine and George, arrive, and Marlene tells them that the television is no longer working because Marty had a fight with a repairman who called him a “chicken.” Lorraine says that Marty despises being called a chicken, recalling the time when Marty got into a car accident in an attempt to prove he wasn’t cowardly. Lorraine explains that Marty gave up the guitar after the accident and became depressed. Escaping the house, Jennifer spots future Marty, now weary and middle-aged, and faints as she runs into future Jennifer at the door. Marty runs to the house to help Doc sneak Jennifer’s body away; meanwhile, Biff steals the time machine, travels back in time, and returns moments before Doc and Marty drag Jennifer back to the vehicle. Arriving back in 1985, Doc says he plans to destroy the time machine because time travel has become too dangerous, although he fantasizes about taking one last trip, to the Old West. Doc and Marty leave Jennifer on a porch swing outside her house, and Doc promises that when she wakes up she will believe their journey to 2015 was a dream. Parting ways with Doc, Marty returns home but discovers that another family is living in his house. Noticing that the neighborhood is now crime-ridden, Marty identifies himself to a neighbor, Mr. Strickland, but Strickland does not recognize him. In town, Marty discovers a casino called Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise, and, at the Biff Tannen Museum, Marty watches a video, learning that Biff made a fortune betting on sporting events and now owns a massive corporate empire called BiffCo. Marty also discovers that Biff married his mother, identified in the video as Lorraine Baines McFly, in 1973. Several guards apprehend Marty and knock him out. Waking up, Marty finds his mother, Lorraine, tending to him in a darkened apartment. Biff, Marty’s stepfather, arrives, yelling that Marty should be away at boarding school. Biff hits Lorraine and Marty tries unsuccessfully to defend her. After Biff leaves, Marty learns that his father George died twelve years ago. At the cemetery where George is buried, Doc and Marty reunite, and Doc says that, according to old newspapers, George was assassinated. Doc produces Biff’s cane and the receipt for the sports almanac that Biff left behind in Doc’s time machine, proving that Biff stole Doc’s invention, traveled back in time, and gave the almanac to younger Biff. Later that night, Marty finds Biff in a hot tub with two women and tells him they need to discuss the sports almanac he used to create his fortune. Biff explains to Marty that he received the almanac on November 12, 1955, from an old man who swore him to secrecy. Biff aims a gun at Marty, but before he can shoot, Marty escapes in the time machine with Doc. They head back to November 12, 1955; Doc tells Marty that there are now two versions of Doc and two versions of Marty in 1955, and they must not run into their other selves. Doc and Marty split up, communicating through walkie-talkies as Marty spies on young Biff. After old Biff gives his younger self the almanac and leaves in the time machine, Marty sets out to steal the book. That night, Marty hides in Biff’s backseat as he drives to the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance. In the parking lot outside the dance, Biff gets knocked out by Marty’s father, George, and, after George has gone, Marty steals the almanac. Although Marty escapes several of Biff’s thugs, he realizes they are also pursuing the other version of Marty who is playing guitar at the dance. Marty climbs atop a lighting fixture and drops a bundle of sandbags onto Biff’s gang, saving the other Marty. Heading to the roof where he plans to meet Doc in the time machine, Marty is stopped by Biff, who calls him a chicken, steals the almanac, and drives away. After boarding Doc’s time machine, Marty grabs his hoverboard and rides alongside Biff’s car as he speeds down the road. Biff drives into a tunnel, trying to run Marty into the concrete wall, but Marty steals the almanac and grabs onto a rope Doc has lowered as they emerge from the tunnel. Biff runs into a manure truck, and, soon after, Doc lowers Marty to the ground, ordering him to burn the almanac. As the book catches fire, Marty notices the words on his matchbook changing from Biff’s Pleasure Palace to Biff’s Auto Detailing. In addition, the newspaper Doc found in 2015 no longer announces George’s death. As Marty prepares to board the time machine, lightning strikes and Doc disappears, leaving Marty behind in 1955. Soon after, a Western Union messenger appears with a letter for Marty. He says that Western Union has had the letter in its possession for the past seventy years with instructions to deliver it to Marty at very location. The letter is from Doc, who is now living in the year 1885. Excited to learn that Doc is still alive, Marty runs to meet the younger version of Doc who is at the Hill Valley clock tower. As the other version of Marty heads away in the time machine, Marty greets younger Doc, announcing that he’s back from the future.
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement AwardTOP SEARCHES
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
According to HR news items, "The Gentleman from Montana" (an unpublished story by Lewis R. Foster, alternately called "The Gentleman from Wyoming" by both contemporary and modern ... >>
It's a Wonderful Life
Philip Van Doren Stern's story, which, according to many contemporary and modern sources, was originally written in Nov 1939, was enclosed by him in his 1943 Christmas cards. Although ... >>
Gone with the Wind
[Note from the Editors : the following information is based on contemporary news items, feature articles, reviews, interviews, memoranda and corporate records. Information obtained from modern sources is ... >>
