How the Animated Series ‘Rick and Morty’ Is a More Extreme Version of the 1985 Film ‘Back to the Future’

With the fourth season of Rick and Morty underway Debra Minoff and Susannah McCullough of The Take quite deftly compare the animated series with the classic 1985 film Back to the Future. They meticulously note how the stories align themselves in a number of uncanny ways, particularly in regard to generations, family and time travel.

As we see in today’s boomer, millennial and zoomer animosity, generational divides can seem so impenetrable that connecting with each other might as well require time travel. ‘Back to the Future’ made this literal when Marty had to meet his parents at his age to understand them. In the episode ‘Big Trouble in Little Sanchez’ gives us the variation on this idea when Rick’s teenage clone allows his grandkids to connect with a younger more open version of him.

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Rick and Doc

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Sons

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Father

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Sister

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Family

Rick and Morty Back to the Future Mothers

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.