‘Back to the Future' at 40: All the ways the Robert Zemeckis classic was snubbed by the Oscars
Genius isn't always recognized in its time, though, which is why the movie's relatively poor showing at the 58th Academy Awards — held on March 24, 1986 — hangs extra-heavy four decades later. Back to the Future received four nominations and took home a single statue as Sydney Pollack's Out of Africa emerged as the evening's big winner. Here's a look back at which Oscars the movie was up for... and which categories it should have been contending in.
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Best Original Screenplay
Zemeckis and collaborator Bob Gale were rightly recognized by voters for their expertly crafted script, which took five years to develop into the finished product. That calibration wasn't just about getting the action right — it was also always keeping the McFly clan front and center. "It's a movie about family," Gale remarked in one interview about why the film endures. "Movies about families always resonate."
The other nominees: Brazil, The Official Story, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Witness (winner)
Best Original Song
Did you hear the news? Huey Lewis came thisclose to winning an Oscar for "The Power of Love," only to see the statue go to another '80s legend — Lionel Richie for "Say You, Say Me." No shade on Richie, but we say that the Lewis peppy tune has more staying power.
The other nominees: The Color Purple, White Nights (2 nominations, 1 win), A Chorus Line
Best Sound
You win some, you lose some. In this case, Back to the Future lost one of the two Sound statues it was up for — back when the Academy Awards still had two Sound categories — but got the one it really deserved.
The other nominees: A Chorus Line, Ladyhawke, Out of Africa (winner), Silverado
Best Sound Effects Editing
Back to the Future's lone win at least acknowledged its skillfully edited audio effects, from the screeching tires of the DeLorean to lightning striking the Hill Valley clock tower. Don't call it a consolation prize — consider it well-rewarded expertise.
The other nominees: Ladyhawke, Rambo: First Blood Part II
Best Picture
The push-pull between art and commerce has long been a source of tension when it comes to the Oscars — remember Steven Spielberg's Jaws snub? But Back to the Future is a prime example of great artistry in service of lucrative commercial entertainment. Sometimes the movie that tops the annual box office isn't the best of Best Pictures (looking at you Batman Forever), but in 1985 it was.
The actual nominees: The Color Purple, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Out of Africa (winner), Prizzi's Honor, Witness
Best Director
Back to the Future catches Zemeckis as he closes out the wunderkind phase of his career and enters Phase 2 — established hitmaker. He would go on to helm more sophisticated and technically complex movies, several of which also should have merited nominations. (His absence from the Best Director category for the still-remarkable Who Framed Roger Rabbit? smarts.) But this one has all of the effects sizzle along with plenty of emotional stakes.
The actual nominees: Héctor Babenco (Kiss of the Spider Woman), John Huston (Prizzi's Honor), Akira Kurosawa (Ran), Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa, winner), Peter Weir (Witness)
Best Actor
Michael J. Fox famously replaced Eric Stoltz midway through production, and hit the ground running as the quintessential '80s everyteen-turned-time traveler. It's not a showy star turn, but if he slows down for even a minute, the movie dies. Maybe instead of an Oscar, they could have awarded him an Olympics-style gold medal.
The actual nominees: Harrison Ford (Witness), James Garner (Murphy's Romance), William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman, winner), Jack Nicolson (Prizzi's Honor), Jon Voight (Runaway Train)
Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Lloyd brought the mad scientist trope out of the '50s and into the '80s — but really, Doc Brown is a timeless character. While the Taxi star isn't shy about playing the buffoon, he always grounds his portrayal in the good doctor's emotional connection to Marty. "Michael came on [set] and the electricity was there from the get-go and it never went away," Lloyd once said of his co-star. "It's still there when we get together today."
The actual nominees: Don Ameche (Cocoon, winner), Klaus Maria Brandauer (Out of Africa), William Hickey (Prizzi's Honor), Robert Loggia (Jagged Edge), Eric Roberts (Runaway Train)
Best Visual Effects
There's a reason why almost everyone believes that DeLoreans really can travel through time. The wizards at Industrial Light & Magic created a sound-and-light show accompanying each era-jump that seems like a natural add-on to an already-futuristic looking car. ILM can also boast to creating the largest lightning bolt in history for the climactic sequence, which seems like an Oscar-worthy achievement on its own.
The actual nominees: Cocoon (winner), Return to Oz, Young Sherlock Holmes
Best Original Score
Be honest — who among us hasn't cranked up Alan Silvestri's Back to the Future theme when our odometer approaches 88 MPH on an open stretch of highway? That soaring piece of music is as instantly recognizable as any '80s Oscar-winning score, from Chariots of Fire to The Little Mermaid. Its snub was and still is completely tone deaf.
The actual nominees: Agnes of God, The Color Purple, Out of Africa (winner), Silverado, Witness
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