What does Back to the Future have to do with Thanksgiving/The Wizard of Oz?

Back to the Future, the classic Robert Zemeckis science fiction romance flick from the 80s. Wow. What a movie, am I right? Michael J Fox delivers a great performance as Marty McFly, Christopher Lloyd brings his A-game as Doc Brown, you've got Lorraine, George, Biff and all the other characters too... Just a great movie that you probably don't need any excuses to rewatch.

But alas, I have one for you anyway. On a recent rewatch, it dawned on me that Back to the Future would make for a pretty good Thanksgiving movie. One that checks off a surprising number of the boxes needed for it to qualify as a classic American Turkey Day film, and one that even encourages people to review their past (and the nation's past) in a more critical, analytical way.

Oh, and it also might be a soft retelling of The Wizard of Oz, too. So that's like—and pardon the pun—pretty Wicked too since that movie is so popular.

…

Get it? I’m courting the algorithm as my way of how to appear in searches about 2024’s Wicked, a two part musical based on the popular Broadway show. I’m working with a real Ariana Grande brain over here.

#backtothefuture #videoessay #thewizardofoz

Chapters:
00:00 - Pre-Roll
01:30 - Intro
03:01 - The past (and how we were wrong about it)
12:19 - The “The Wizard of Oz” connection
19:03 - The direct evocations of Thanksgiving
26:28 - Why Back to the Future deserves to be a Thanksgiving movie (Conclusion)
31:01 - Sign off/Credits

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