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{{short description|1990 film by Robert Zemeckis}}
{{about|the film|the video game|Back to the Future Part III (video game){{!}}''Back to the Future Part III'' (video game)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Back to the Future Part III
| image = Back to the Future Part III.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster by [[Drew Struzan]]
| director = [[Robert Zemeckis]]
| story = {{Plainlist|
* Robert Zemeckis
* Bob Gale
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Bob Gale
* [[Neil Canton]]
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|<!--Per poster billing-->
* [[Michael J. Fox]]
* [[Christopher Lloyd]]
* [[Mary Steenburgen]]
* [[Thomas F. Wilson]]
* [[Lea Thompson]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Dean Cundey]]
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* [[Arthur Schmidt (film editor)|Arthur Schmidt]]
* [[Harry Keramidas]]
}}
| music = [[Alan Silvestri]]
| production_companies = [[Amblin Entertainment]]
| distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1990|05|25}}
| runtime = 118 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 118:43 --><ref>{{cite web | url=http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/back-future-part-iii-1970-0 | title=Back to the Future Part III (PG) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=June 4, 1990 | access-date=June 21, 2015 | archive-date=June 22, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622111955/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/back-future-part-iii-1970-0 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $40 million<ref name=BOM />
| gross = $245.1 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0099088/|title=Back to the Future III (1990)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=December 31, 2016|archive-date=February 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218051132/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0099088/|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Back to the Future Part III''''' is a 1990 American [[Science fiction Western|science fiction Western film]] and the third<!-- Please do not add "and final", that should be obvious for the third installment of a trilogy--> installment of the [[Back to the Future (franchise)|''Back to the Future'' trilogy]]. The film was directed by [[Robert Zemeckis]], and stars [[Michael J. Fox]], [[Christopher Lloyd]], [[Mary Steenburgen]], [[Thomas F. Wilson]], and [[Lea Thompson]]. The film continues immediately following ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' (1989); while stranded in 1955 during his time travel adventures, [[Marty McFly]] (Fox) discovers that his friend [[Emmett Brown|Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown]] (Lloyd), trapped in 1885, was killed by [[Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen]] (Wilson), [[Biff Tannen|Biff]]'s great-grandfather. Marty travels to 1885 to rescue Doc and return once again to 1985, but matters are complicated when Doc falls in love with [[List of Back to the Future characters|Clara Clayton]] (Steenburgen).
''Back to the Future Part III'' was filmed in [[California]] and [[Arizona]], and was produced on a $40 million budget [[Back-to-back film production|back-to-back]] with ''[[Back to the Future Part II|Part II]]''. ''Part III'' was released in the United States on May 25, 1990, six months after the previous installment, and grossed $245 million worldwide during its initial run, making it the [[1990 in film#Highest-grossing films|sixth-highest-grossing film of 1990]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1990/?ref_=bo_cso_table_1|title=1990 Worldwide Box Office|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=March 7, 2020|archive-date=May 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515202657/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1990/?ref_=bo_cso_table_1|url-status=live}}</ref> The film received a positive response from critics, who noted it as an improvement over ''Part II''.
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films are to be between 400 to 700 words. -->
In November 1955, moments after witnessing [[Emmett Brown|Emmett "Doc" Brown]] disappear in his [[DeLorean time machine|DeLorean]], [[Marty McFly]] learns that Doc was sent 70 years in the past to 1885.{{refn|group=N|As depicted at the end of ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' (1989).}} Using information from Doc's 1885 letter, Marty and the 1955 Doc find and repair the DeLorean so Marty can return to 1985. However, after finding it, Marty comes across a tombstone with Doc's name, with the inscription stating that Doc was shot by [[Biff Tannen]]'s great-grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, six days after writing the letter.
Despite the letter's warning, Marty travels back to September 2, 1885, to save Doc, arriving in the middle of a [[United States Cavalry|cavalry]] pursuit of [[Indigenous peoples of California|Native Americans]], but the car's fuel line is damaged in the process. Chased by a [[American black bear|bear]], he is knocked out and found by his [[Irish nationality law|Irish-born]] great-great-grandparents Seamus and Maggie McFly, who allow him to stay for the night. The next morning, under the alias [[Clint Eastwood]], Marty arrives in a newly founded [[Hill Valley (Back to the Future)|Hill Valley]] but runs afoul of Buford and his gang. Buford tries hanging Marty but fails when Doc rescues him. Doc agrees to leave 1885 after learning his fate, but without gasoline, the DeLorean cannot reach its required {{convert|88|mph|abbr=off|sp=us}}. He thus proposes using a [[steam locomotive]] to push the DeLorean to that speed.
While inspecting a [[Branch line|rail spur]], Doc saves the town's new schoolteacher Clara Clayton from falling into the ravine, averting her death from the original timeline. They fall in love at first sight and form a close relationship. At a town festival for the courthouse, Buford tries shooting Doc, but Marty thwarts him. Buford then challenges him to a showdown in two days by calling him "[[cowardice|yellow]]"; an angry Marty accepts, believing that he and Doc would have left by then. Doc urges Marty not to react to provocation, letting slip that Marty has a life changing accident in the future.
Although he is reluctant to return to 1985, Doc eventually visits Clara to end their relationship and bid her goodbye. However, feeling insulted, she dismisses his story about being from the future. Despondent, he goes for a [[Binge drinking|binge]]. In the morning, Buford arrives for Marty, who sees his alias appear in the photograph of the tombstone and refuses to duel. Doc passes out after downing just one shot; he is eventually revived, but is captured by Buford's gang, forcing Marty into the duel. Marty fools Buford into believing that he was fatally shot and knocks him into a wagon of [[manure]]. Buford and his gang are promptly arrested for an earlier robbery.
On the train to [[San Francisco]], Clara learns how heartbroken Doc is and runs back to town. She finds the model of the time machine at his shop. Realizing that Doc was telling the truth, she heads back to meet him. Using the stolen locomotive, Doc and Marty push the DeLorean along the spur line. Clara boards the locomotive and, attempting to reach Doc, nearly falls off. Marty, in the DeLorean, passes his [[hoverboard]] to Doc, and he uses it to save Clara and carry her to safety. Marty hits 88 mph and vanishes as the overheated locomotive falls off the unfinished bridge.
Arriving back in 1985 on October 27, Marty escapes from the powerless DeLorean just before an oncoming freight train destroys it. Reuniting with his girlfriend [[List of Back to the Future characters#Jennifer Parker|Jennifer Parker]], Marty declines a street race with Douglas J. Needles, thus avoiding the future accident Doc warned him about. Jennifer opens the fax message she kept from 2015 and watches as the text regarding Marty's firing disappears.
As Marty and Jennifer examine the DeLorean wreckage, a steam locomotive suddenly appears, operated by Doc, Clara, and their sons. Doc gives Marty a photo of them standing next to the town clock in 1885. When Jennifer asks Doc about the blank fax, he states that it means that their future has not yet been written and encourages them to make it a good one. Doc and his family bid farewell and fly off in the locomotive to an unknown time.
==Cast==
{{See also|List of Back to the Future characters{{!}}List of ''Back to the Future'' characters}}
{{multiple image|max_width=350
| direction = horizontal
| footer = [[Michael J. Fox]] in 2020 (left) and [[Christopher Lloyd]] in 2015
| image1 = Michael J Fox 2020.jpg
| width1 = 175
| alt1 = A photograph of Michael J Fox
| image2 = Christopher Lloyd May 2015.jpg
| width2 = 161
| alt2 = A photograph of Christopher Lloyd
}}
<!--DO NOT LINK CHARACTERS! THEY ARE ALREADY LINKED ABOVE AND A SEPARATE LINK TO THE CHARACTER LIST IS AT THE TOP OF THIS SECTION. Cast list as shown in the same order as after the cut-to-black at the end of the film.-->
{{Cast listing|
* [[Michael J. Fox]] as:
** Marty McFly
** Seamus McFly
* [[Christopher Lloyd]] as Emmett "Doc" Brown
* [[Mary Steenburgen]] as Clara Clayton
* [[Thomas F. Wilson]] as:
** Biff Tannen
** Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen
* [[Lea Thompson]] as:
** Lorraine McFly
** Maggie McFly
}}
Returning actors from previous films include [[Elisabeth Shue]] and [[Flea (musician)|Flea]] as Jennifer Parker and Douglas J. Needles, as well as [[Marc McClure]], [[Wendie Jo Sperber]] and [[Jeffrey Weissman]] as Dave, Linda and George McFly, respectively. [[James Tolkan]], who played Mr. Strickland in the first two films, plays his ancestor Marshal James Strickland.
Buford's gang in 1885 is portrayed by Christopher Wynne, Sean Gregory Sullivan, and Mike Watson. Wynne also plays a member of Needles' gang in 1985, alongside [[J. J. Cohen]] and [[Ricky Dean Logan]], who played Skinhead and Data, respectively, in previous films.
Chester the bartender is played by [[Matt Clark (actor)|Matt Clark]], and three elderly patrons of the saloon are played by veteran Western film actors [[Pat Buttram]], [[Harry Carey, Jr.]] and [[Dub Taylor]]. [[Hugh Gillin]], [[Burton Gilliam]], [[Donovan Scott]] and [[Bill McKinney]] portray Hill Valley's mayor, a gun salesman, Strickland's deputy, and an engineer respectively. Todd Cameron Brown and Dannel Evans play Doc and Clara's sons Jules and Verne Brown, and Lindsay Vail Clark portrays William McFly, Marty's great-grandfather.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user= Lindzanity |number= 1249400891381370882 |title=Fun fact: I played the baby William McFly in that movie. Here’s a pic my parents saved of me and @realmikefox on set.}}</ref> [[Frank Beard (musician)|Frank Beard]], [[Billy Gibbons]] and [[Dusty Hill]] of [[ZZ Top]] cameo as the band at the Festival.
==Production==
[[File:DeLoreanBack2FutureIIIMontereyAug2011.JPG|thumb|right|One of the DeLorean vehicles used in the film]]
[[File:Universal Orlando - Universal Studios - Back To The Future Train Back to the Future.jpg|thumb|The Time Train used at the end of the film, currently on display at [[Universal Studios Florida]]]]
The origins of the [[Western (genre)|Western]] theme for ''Back to the Future Part III'' lay in the production of the original ''[[Back to the Future]]'' film. During filming for the original, director [[Robert Zemeckis]] asked actor [[Michael J. Fox]] what time period he would like to see. Fox replied that he wanted to visit the [[American frontier|Old West]] and meet [[cowboy]]s. Zemeckis and writer/producer [[Bob Gale]] were intrigued by the idea, but held it off until ''Part III''.<ref name="dvdint1" /> Rather than use existing sets, the filmmakers built the 1885 Hill Valley from scratch.<ref name="dvdint1" /> The western scenes were filmed on ___location in [[Oak Park, California]] and [[Monument Valley]].<ref name="DVD(C)">Back to the Future 2002 DVD Feature: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale Q&A recorded at the [[University of Southern California]]</ref> Some of the ___location shooting for the 1885 Hill Valley was done in [[Jamestown, California]] and on a purpose-built set at the Red Hills Ranch near [[Sonora, California]].<ref name="DVD(C)" /> Some of the train scenes were filmed at [[Railtown 1897 State Historic Park]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railtown1897.org/railtown/doc.asp?id=339 |title=Railtown 1897 State Historic Park Film Credits |website=railtown1897.org|access-date=October 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203053007/http://www.railtown1897.org/railtown/doc.asp?id=339 |archive-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Jensen | first = Larry | authorlink = | title = Hollywood's Railroads: Sierra Railroad | publisher = Cochetopa Press | series = | volume = Two | edition = | date = 2018 | ___location = Sequim, Washington | pages = 61–64 | language = | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=c-RNswEACAAJ&q=Hollywood%27s+Railroads | doi = | id = | isbn =978-0-692-06472-6 | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | access-date =May 8, 2022 | archive-date =May 7, 2022 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20220507223541/https://books.google.com/books?id=c-RNswEACAAJ&dq=Hollywood%27s+Railroads&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKgvSWqYncAhXqhFQKHQdfCaAQ6AEINjAE | url-status =live}}</ref> a [[heritage railroad|heritage line]] in Jamestown.
The shooting of the ''[[Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future]]'' sequels, which were shot [[Back to back film production|back-to-back]] throughout 1989, reunited much of the crew of the original.<ref name="dvdint2">{{cite video |people=Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis |title=''Back to the Future Part III''. Special Features: Making the Trilogy: Chapter Three |medium=DVD |publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment |date=2002|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The films were shot over the course of eleven months, save for a three-week hiatus between filming of ''Parts II'' and ''III'', and concluded in January 1990. The most grueling part was editing ''Part II'' while filming ''Part III'', and Zemeckis bore the brunt of the process over a three-week period. While Zemeckis was shooting most of the train sequences in Sonora, Gale was in Los Angeles supervising the final dub of ''Part II''.<ref name="dvdint2" /> Zemeckis would wrap photography and board a private plane to [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], where Gale and engineers would greet him on the dubbing stage with dinner. He would oversee the reels completed that day, and make changes where needed.<ref name="dvdint2" /> Afterwards, he would retire to the [[Sheraton Hotels and Resorts|Sheraton]] Universal Hotel for the night. The following morning, Zemeckis would drive to the [[Burbank Airport]], board a flight back to the set in Northern California, and continue to shoot the film.<ref name="dvdint2" />
Although the schedule for most of the personnel involved was grueling, the actors found the remote ___location for ''Part III'' relaxing, compared to shooting its predecessor.<ref name="dvdint2" />
The role of Clara Clayton was written with [[Mary Steenburgen]] in mind. When she received the script, however, she was reluctant to commit to the film until her children, who had loved the first film, "hounded" her.<ref name="dvdint2" />
The Hill Valley Festival Dance scene proved to be the most dangerous for Lloyd and Steenburgen; overzealous dancing left Steenburgen with a torn ligament in her foot.<ref name="dvdint1">{{cite video |people=Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis |title=Back to the Future ''Part III''. Special Features: The Making of ''Back to the Future Part III'' |medium=DVD |publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment |date=2002|display-authors=etal}}</ref>
The film also featured [[cameo appearance]]s from veteran Western film actors [[Pat Buttram]], [[Harry Carey Jr.]] and [[Dub Taylor]] as three "saloon old timers".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7PLgyEBL3UC&q=Pat+Buttram,+Harry+Carey,+Jr.+Dub+Taylor+Back+to+the+Future&pg=PA99 |title=The Worlds of Back to the Future: Critical Essays on the Films |date=May 12, 2010 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5765-6 |editor=Fhlainn |editor-first=Sorcha Ní |editor-link=Sorcha Ní Fhlainn |access-date=November 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508021626/https://books.google.com/books?id=H7PLgyEBL3UC&q=Pat+Buttram%2C+Harry+Carey%2C+Jr.+Dub+Taylor+Back+to+the+Future&pg=PA99 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The inclusion of these noticeable Western actors was promoted in several documentaries about the film, as well as the behind-the-scenes documentary of the DVD and in the obituary of one of the actors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soentertain.me/2012/12/western-character-actor-harry-carey-jr-passes-away/|title=soentertain.me|website=soentertain.me|access-date=November 14, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140222150745/http://soentertain.me/2012/12/western-character-actor-harry-carey-jr-passes-away/|archive-date=February 22, 2014}}</ref> Zemeckis considered having [[Ronald Reagan]] play the part of the Mayor of Hill Valley in 1885. Reagan, who in 1989 had just recently finished his second term as president, had appeared in several Westerns during his earlier career as an actor. Zemeckis contacted Reagan's agent [[Lew Wasserman]], to gauge the ex-president's interest in the role, to which Reagan declined.<ref>{{cite book|last=Weinberg|first=Mark|date=2018|title=Movie Nights with the Reagans|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1-5011-3399-2|page=151}}</ref>
Shooting a film set in the Old West was appealing to the [[Stunt performer|stuntmen]], who were all experienced horse riders. Gale recalled in 2002 that many stuntmen in Hollywood wanted to work on ''Part III''.<ref name="dvdint2" /> Thomas F. Wilson, who played Buford Tannen, chose to perform his own stunts and spent a great deal of time learning to ride a horse and throw his [[Lasso|lariat]]. Filming was paused when Fox's father died, and when his son was born.<ref name="dvdint1" />
[[Alan Silvestri]] returned to compose the [[Film score|score]] for ''Back to the Future Part III'', continuing his longtime collaboration with Zemeckis. Rather than dictate how the music should sound, Zemeckis directed Silvestri as he would an actor, seeking to evoke emotion and treating every piece of music like a character.<ref name="dvdint2" /> The musicians of the Old West-style band in the film were played by American rock band [[ZZ Top]].
The photography in ''Part III'' was a "dream" for cinematographer [[Dean Cundey]], who shared with much of the crew his excitement to shoot a Western. Zemeckis wished to create a spectacular climax to the film. He coordinated the actors, a live 4-6-0 ten wheeler [[steam locomotive]] (the [[Sierra Railway 3]]<ref name="The Providence Journal 2012">{{cite web |author=The Providence Journal |title=Train needs makeover before next Hollywood close-up - ScrippsNews |website=scrippsnews.com |date=March 10, 2012 |url=https://www.scrippsnews.com/node/18914 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310202749/http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/18914 |archive-date=March 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Sierra DinnerTrain 2014">{{cite web |title=Movies |website=Sierra DinnerTrain |date=November 8, 2014 |url=https://sierradinnertrain.com/movies/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108071332/https://sierradinnertrain.com/movies/ |archive-date=November 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>), [[pyrotechnics]], and special effects, and countless technicians all at once.<ref name="dvdint2" /> As they had done with the previous two films in the trilogy, the visual effects for ''Part III'' were managed by effects company [[Industrial Light & Magic]]; the head of its animation department, [[Wes Takahashi]], returned to once again animate the DeLorean's time travel sequences.<ref>{{cite web|last=Failes|first=Ian|date=October 21, 2015|title=The future is today: how ILM made time travel possible|url=https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-future-is-today-how-ilm-made-time-travel-possible-frame-by-frame/|website=FXGuide|access-date=June 17, 2016|archive-date=July 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701211801/https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-future-is-today-how-ilm-made-time-travel-possible-frame-by-frame/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://itu.edu/digital-arts/faculty/|title=Digital Arts Faculty|publisher=International Technological University|access-date=June 17, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812215132/http://itu.edu/digital-arts/faculty/|archive-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>
==Home media and music==
{{Main|Back to the Future Part III (soundtrack)|l1=''Back to the Future Part III'' (soundtrack)}}
On November 8, 1990, [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|MCA/Universal Home Video]] released ''Back to the Future Part III'' on VHS and on December 17, 2002, on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-The-Complete-Trilogy/dp/B00006AL1E|title=Amazon.com: Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy|website=Amazon|access-date=January 25, 2016|archive-date=February 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206021600/http://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-The-Complete-Trilogy/dp/B00006AL1E|url-status=live}}</ref> It debuted on [[Blu-ray]] in 2010 for the film's 20th anniversary, followed by a second [[Blu-ray]] remaster in 2015 for the film's 25th anniversary and a [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Blu-ray]] remaster in 2020 for the film's 30th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Anniversary-Trilogy-Blu-ray/dp/B0054OGQOQ|title=Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy [Blu-ray] – Amazon|publisher=Amazon|access-date=July 13, 2021|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917112711/https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Anniversary-Trilogy-Blu-ray/dp/B0054OGQOQ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Trilogy-Blu-ray-Michael/dp/B011Q0FSC2|title=Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy [Blu-ray] – Amazon|publisher=Amazon|access-date=July 13, 2021|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917112708/https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Trilogy-Blu-ray-Michael/dp/B011Q0FSC2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Back to the Future™ Trilogy – One of the Biggest Motion Picture Trilogies Comes to 4K Ultra HD for the First Time Ever|url=https://www.backtothefuture.com/news/2020/7/27/back-to-the-future-the-ultimate-trilogy-heads-to-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-and-dvd|access-date=August 3, 2020|website=Back to the Future™ Trilogy|language=en-US|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803140315/https://www.backtothefuture.com/news/2020/7/27/back-to-the-future-the-ultimate-trilogy-heads-to-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-and-dvd|url-status=live}}</ref>
The soundtrack was released under [[Varèse Sarabande]] on May 29, 1990, and features most of the score by Alan Silvestri and the orchestral version of the song "[[Doubleback (song)|Doubleback]]" performed at the festival in 1885 during the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099088/soundtrack|title=Back to the Future Part III (1990) – Soundtracks|publisher=IMDB|access-date=July 13, 2021|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825114134/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099088/soundtrack|url-status=live}}</ref> A two-disc special edition was released on October 12, 2015, in commemoration of the film's 25th anniversary, which includes the original score (26 tracks) on disc one and an arrangement of alternate cues and source music on a second disc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Part-III-Anniversary/dp/B0169OW1UC|title=Back to the Future Part III: 25th Anniversary Edition (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Amazon|publisher=Amazon|access-date=July 13, 2021|archive-date=July 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729155907/https://www.amazon.com/Back-Future-Part-III-Anniversary/dp/B0169OW1UC|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception==
===Box office===
The film grossed $23 million in its first weekend of U.S. release and $87.6 million altogether in U.S. box office receipts (or about ${{Inflation|US-GDP|87.666629|1990|r=1}} million adjusted as of {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP}}) – $246 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|first=Pat H.|last=Broeske|title='Back to Future III' a Fast Draw Against 'Fire Birds' Movies: Memorial weekend opening is no contest. 'Future III' takes $23.7 million, while 'Birds' takes $6.3 million.|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 30, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-30-ca-166-story.html|access-date=November 16, 2010|archive-date=July 9, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709115442/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-30/entertainment/ca-166_1_future-iii/2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/BacktotheFuture.php|title=Box Office History for Back to the Future Movies|website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107152235/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/BacktotheFuture.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Recall' Totally Outdistances 'Future' in Box-Office Race Movies: Schwarzenegger's sci-fi flick opens with $25.5 million. But it only just edges the 'Turtles' ' $25.3-million record.|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 15, 1993|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-05-ca-641-story.html|access-date=November 30, 2010|archive-date=November 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104021022/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-06-05/entertainment/ca-641_1_box-office|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Critical response===
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose |score=79 |count=48 |average=6.8 |consensus=''Back to the Future Part III'' draws the trilogy to a satisfying close with a simpler, sweeter round of time-travel antics.|ref=yes |access-date=December 15, 2024}} {{Metacritic film prose |score=55|count=19 |ref=yes |access-date=February 17, 2020 }} Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, same as the second installment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Back to the Future" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=February 17, 2020|archive-date=January 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Kim Newman]] of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' gave the film four out of five stars, saying that the film "restores heart interest of the first film and has a satisfying complete storyline". He praised Michael J. Fox for "keeping the plot on the move" and mentioned that Christopher Lloyd and Mary Steenburgen's romance was "funny". He said that the film's ending was the "neatest of all" and it "features one of the best time machines in the cinema, promising that this is indeed the very last in the series and neatly wrapping it up for everybody".<ref>{{cite magazine | last=Newman | first=Kim | author-link=Kim Newman | title=Back to the Future: Part III | url=http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132359 | magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | access-date=August 30, 2012 | archive-date=September 25, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925164620/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132359 | url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Leonard Maltin]] preferred the film to the first two, giving it three-and-a-half stars out of four, praising the film as great fun, special effects and imagination, also saying that the movie magic works in the film.<ref>Maltin, Leonard (2008), p. 78. ''Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide''. [[Signet Books]].</ref> Michael McWhertor of the website ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' wrote that while the film was not better than the original entry in the series, it is nonetheless "leagues better than the second"; he praised the film's comedic and romantic elements, and commended Thomas F. Wilson's performance as "Mad Dog" Tannen.<ref>{{cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=October 21, 2015 |title=Back to the Future Part 3 is perfect (and better than Part 2) |url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/10/21/9583662/back-to-the-future-3-is-perfect |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=June 23, 2016 |archive-date=June 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608084638/http://www.polygon.com/2015/10/21/9583662/back-to-the-future-3-is-perfect |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film two-and-a-half out of four stars. He said that the film's western motifs are "a sitcom version that looks exactly as if it were built on a [[Back lot (film)|back lot]] somewhere".<ref>{{cite web | first=Roger | last=Ebert | author-link=Roger Ebert | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/back-to-the-future-part-iii-1990 | title=Back to the Future Part III review | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date=May 25, 1990 | access-date=September 28, 2022 | url-status=live | archive-date=September 28, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928144950/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/back-to-the-future-part-iii-1990}}</ref> Although [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised Christopher Lloyd's performance in the film, he also said that the film "looks as if it could be the beginning of a continuing television series". He complained that the film is "so sweet-natured and bland that it is almost instantly forgettable".<ref>{{cite web | last=Canby | first=Vincent | author-link=Vincent Canby | title=A Trilogy Whose Future Has Passed | url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE0DF1F38F936A15756C0A966958260 | work=[[The New York Times]]| date=May 25, 1990 | access-date=August 30, 2012}}</ref>
Commentators noticed parallels between ''Part III'' and the film ''[[Time After Time (1979 film)|Time After Time]]'' (1979).<ref name="mix979fm">{{cite web|url=http://mix979fm.com/what-ties-these-five-time-travel-movies-together-video/|title=What Ties These Five Time-Travel Movies Together? – [Video]|author=Spencer Bennett|website=mix979fm.com|date=November 2, 2015|quote=I was noticing the time-traveling ties between 'Time After Time' (1979) and another movie 'Back to the Future III' (1990), a film also starring Mary Steenburgen. In 'Time After Time', she played Amy Robbins, a 20th Century woman who falls in love with a time traveller, H.G. Wells (played by Malcolm McDowell) from the 19th Century.... In Back to the Future Part III (1990), she played Clara Clayton, a 19th Century woman who falls in love with a time traveller, (played by Christopher Lloyd) from the 20th Century.|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220062955/http://mix979fm.com/what-ties-these-five-time-travel-movies-together-video/|url-status=live}}</ref> Mary Steenburgen has said:
<blockquote>Actually, I've played the same scene in that film [''Time After Time''] and in [''Back to the Future Part III'']…. I've had a man from a different time period tell me that he's in love with me, but he has to go back to his own time. My response in both cases is, of course, disbelief, and I order them out of my life. Afterwards, I find out I was wrong and that, in fact, the man is indeed from another time, and I go after him (them) to profess my love. It's a pretty strange feeling to find yourself doing the same scene, so many years apart, for the second time in your career.<ref name="steenburgen">{{cite web|url=http://www.backtothefuture.com/cast/mary-steenburgen/bttf3|title=Mary Steenburgen ("Clara Clayton Brown")|website=backtothefuture.com|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220062831/http://www.backtothefuture.com/cast/mary-steenburgen/bttf3|archive-date=February 20, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref></blockquote> The casting of Steenburgen for ''Back to the Future Part III'' appears to be deliberately intended to mirror the earlier role.<ref name="rejects">{{cite web|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/10-movies-to-watch-after-you-see-back-to-the-future-part-iii-48cdeba9e793/|title=10 Movies to Watch After You See Back to the Future Part III|author=Christopher Campbell|website=filmschoolrejects.com|date=October 21, 2015|quote=Steenburgen was sought to play Clara in part based on her role in this movie where she plays the love interest of another time traveller. Instead of a man from the future who is a fan of a famed 19th century sci-fi and fantasy author, her leading man is from the past and an actual famed 19th century sci-fi and fantasy author, H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell)... he brings Steenburgen's character back to his own time period, just as Doc does with Clara.|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220062944/https://filmschoolrejects.com/10-movies-to-watch-after-you-see-back-to-the-future-part-iii-48cdeba9e793/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="thefilmbox" /> In ''Time After Time'', the woman lives in the 20th century and the time traveler is from the 19th. In ''Back to the Future Part III'', the woman inhabits the 19th century and the time traveler is from the 20th.<ref name="thefilmbox">{{cite web|url=https://thefilmbox.org/ultimate-facts/ultimate-facts-back-to-the-future-part-iii/|title=Ultimate Facts: back to the Future Part III|website=thefilmbox.org|quote=The role of Clara Clayton was written specifically for Mary Steenburgen. – In the film, Clara Clayton is a 19th Century woman who falls in love with a time traveler from the 20th Century. In Time After Time (1979), Mary Steenburgen played Amy Robbins, a 20th Century woman who falls in love with a time traveler from the 19th Century.Century.|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818032206/https://thefilmbox.org/ultimate-facts/ultimate-facts-back-to-the-future-part-iii/|archive-date=August 18, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Accolades===
In 1990, the film won a [[Saturn Award for Best Music]] for [[Alan Silvestri]] and a [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor (Film)|Best Supporting Actor award]] for Thomas F. Wilson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#film |title=Past Saturn Awards |publisher=[[Saturn Award|The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films]] |access-date=November 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404160758/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#selective |archive-date=April 4, 2007}}</ref> In 2003, it received an AOL Movies DVD Premiere Award for Best Special Edition of the Year, an award based on consumer online voting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/awards|title=Back to the Future awards|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-date=March 27, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040327034133/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/awards|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Future==
Co-writer and director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale, who have an agreement with Spielberg and Amblin that any further instalments in the ''Back to the Future'' franchise will not be made without their involvement, have stated that another film is "not going to happen".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Matt |date=2020-10-19 |title=Why Back to the Future 4 Won't Happen, According to Co-Writer Bob Gale |url=https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-4-why-it-wont-happen/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> Gale commented that he did not wish to see another film in the series without the Marty McFly character nor any other actor than Michael J. Fox playing him, while acknowledging that Fox's [[Michael J. Fox#Parkinson's disease|current health condition]] would make this impossible. He illustrated this at a 2008 fan convention in Florida, stating: "The idea of making another ''Back to the Future'' movie without Michael J. Fox – you know, that's like saying, 'I'm going to cook you a steak dinner and I'm going to hold the beef.{{' "}}<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/back-to-the-future/remake-sequel-robert-zemeckis/ | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/back-to-the-future/remake-sequel-robert-zemeckis/ | archive-date=January 12, 2022 | url-access=subscription | url-status=live | title= Robert Zemeckis rules out Back to the Future remake | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=July 1, 2015 | access-date=July 7, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Gale also said that the [[Back to the Future: The Game|Telltale video-game adaptation]] is the closest thing to what a fourth film could be like.<ref>{{cite AV media |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBdXEDRQsaA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/jBdXEDRQsaA| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live| title=Back to the Future: The Game – 30th Anniversary Edition Trailer| date=September 29, 2015| work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In an interview on October 21, 2015, the day of [[Back to the Future Part II#Depiction of the future|Marty McFly's purported arrival in the future]], [[Christopher Lloyd]] stated that he would consider making a fourth film under the condition that the original cast and creative team returned, along with a story "worth telling".<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/10/21/back-to-the-future-30th-anniversary-christopher-lloyd/74175682 | title= Christopher Lloyd couldn't have foreseen this 'Future' | date= October 21, 2015 | work= [[USA Today]] | access-date= August 24, 2017 | archive-date= October 7, 2017 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171007170314/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/10/21/back-to-the-future-30th-anniversary-christopher-lloyd/74175682/ | url-status= live}}</ref> The same day, Lloyd reprised his role as [[Emmett Brown|Doc Brown]] in a brief segment in which the character returns with a special message marking the 2015 date.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwL0HZSc2Sc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/JwL0HZSc2Sc| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=The Future Is Now! - 10/21/15 – A Special Message From Doc Brown |author=Universal Pictures Home Entertainment |date=October 20, 2015 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/celebrity/doc-brown-returns-with-a-special-back-to-the-future-day-message/|title='The Future Has Finally Arrived': Doc Brown Returns With a Special 'Back to the Future' Day Message|last=Kimble|first=Lindsay|work=People|date= October 21, 2015|access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> In 2020, actor [[Tom Holland]] claimed in an interview with [[BBC Radio 1]] that he was approached by an unnamed producer over a possible reboot of the franchise with him starring the lead role as Marty McFly (or a similarly new character). However, Holland stated that he was reluctant to take up this offer as he described the existing films as "perfect films", though he would be interested in re-creating scenes from the films in a deep-fake homage video or short film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/back-future-movie-remake-reboot-tom-holland-talks/|title=Tom Holland Confirms Back To The Future Remake Talks Have Happened|date=February 28, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=February 7, 2021|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214093221/https://screenrant.com/back-future-movie-remake-reboot-tom-holland-talks/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Steampunk]]
* [[List of 1990 box office number-one films in the United States]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=N}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Back to the Future Part III}}
{{Wikivoyage|Back to the Future tourism#Back to the Future Part III (1990)|Back to the Future Part III}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://www.bttfmovie.com/}}
* {{IMDb title|0099088}}
* {{TCMDb title|67922}}
* {{mojo title|backtothefuture3}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|back_to_the_future_3}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|1990s|Science fiction}}
{{Back to the Future}}
{{Robert Zemeckis}}
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