A Quiet Regret: Michael J. Fox’s Message to His “Back to the Future” Costar
There’s pretty wide agreement that “Back to the Future” (1985) is one of the greatest time-travel movies ever made, featuring some of cinema’s most delightful and memorable characters. Who can forget Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the ’80s high school everyboy thrust headlong on an adventure that will determine his very existence? Or Christopher Lloyd as the brilliant, quirky Doc Brown? Or Crispin Glover as the nebbishy, horribly put-upon George McFly? Fox himself feels that he never did enough back in the day to show his appreciation for his onscreen father, and of late he has sought to make up for this.
Writing Autobiography Deepens Fox’s Admiration for Co-Star
This past October 14, Fox published a memoir (co-written with former TV executive and professional collaborator Nelle Fortenberry) titled “Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum.” This book is primarily concerned with recounting his experience making the Robert Zemeckis film that would give him his most iconic role.
In the memoir, Fox explains (as reported in Female First on December 28) that his latest rewatch of “Back to the Future” left him with a greater appreciation for Crispin Glover’s performance, and this compelled him to write a letter to his co-star from four decades ago. He quotes this letter thusly: “Your performance is richer and deeper every time I see it. In fact, I skip over my bits to watch yours. Granted, we didn’t talk much during production, so I never had the chance to say that you are a brilliant actor, and I was thrilled to work with you.”
The year before “Back to the Future,” Glover guest-starred in one episode of the sitcom “Family Ties,” on which Fox was one of the core cast members. Both the film and the show called for comedic acting talent, and Fox has high praise for Glover’s comedy chops. “He wasn’t trying to milk the laughs,” he recalls, “He was just naturally funny, and he crushed it on every take.”
Fox also compliments Glover as an unpredictable actor, comparing his performance in “Back to the Future” with that of Christopher Lloyd: “Neither he nor Crispin ever did the same thing the same way twice. But… Chris was much more locked into the script, so there was that constant to depend on. I never knew what Crispin was going to say or do. I’m not sure he knew, either.” He also recounts how Glover loved to provide his own input in regard to George McFly, despite the tension that this sometimes occasioned between him and Zemeckis (as well as Zemeckis’s co-screenwriter, Bob Gale).
Glover – An Actor Whose Legacy Deserves Remembrance
Glover is one of the few “Back to the Future” cast members who did not return for the two sequels, owing to disputes over both salary and creative directions. (Jeffrey Weissman took over the role). In 1986, he played a leading role in the polarizing crime drama “River’s Edge”; in subsequent years, he had minor or supporting roles in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” (1990), “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1994), and two “Charlie’s Angels” films (2000 and 2003).
To this day, Glover’s one-time performance as George McFly is still his most renowned. And what a performance it is! At 21 years old, he was nearly three years younger than his onscreen son, and (like two of his co-stars, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson) the role required him, in a sense, to play three distinct personas: that of a diffident middle-aged family man, a diffident, nerdy high school boy, and (at the end of the film) a strong and self-confident man.
“Back to the Future” Remains in the Present
Any actor who demonstrates such versatility in a single film deserves to be remembered with great respect and admiration. It’s little wonder why Fox felt the need to ensure that his “Back to the Future” co-star felt fully appreciated for his work. Even after four decades, it’s never too late for such heartfelt recognition.
