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Back to the Future, the original from 1985, presented a time travel machine in the form of a DeLorean, and a lead in the form of Fox, as a too-cool teenager who travels to 1955, the same year that his mother and father met and fell in love. Unfortunately, Fox's Marty McFly ends up making that union nearly impossible when he realizes that his mother has a crush - on him. What could be worse? Well, Marty's dad is a huge nerd, shy around everyone, and bullied by Biff, the same man who bosses him around in 1985. And, if Marty can't time his departure to match with an oncoming storm, he's stuck in the past forever. That's just the beginning of the plot, which is cheerfully overheated; the movie works thanks to the cast, the filmmaking, and the breathless pace. If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for?


Field of Dreams

And I would ask the same question if you haven't seen Field of Dreams. Granted, this is a movie better suited for baseball fans or men who don't mind unleashing a few tears at the end of a movie that isn't meant to make them cry, but still. It's Field of Dreams. For some, it might seem odd to watch a movie where Kevin Costner's not only the star, but he's actually pretty damn good, but so it goes. For those who have seen the movie, you might be surprised to consider Field of Dreams a time travel movie, but think about it: the main concept of the movie is that Costner's character builds a baseball field in his farm and is then visited by Shoeless Joe Jackson, the long-dead controversial baseball player.

Not to mention the climactic scene of the film, when Costner meets...well, if you haven't yet seen Field of Dreams, I won't ruin it for you, but it's a tearjerking moment. If you don't feel for the lead at the end, you have a heart of stone. All that aside, the time travel elements are very much under the surface of this 1989 classic. What's on the screen most blatantly is a love for baseball, and a passion for following one's heart. Does it make sense that Ray Kinsella would hear a voice that tells him to build a baseball field so fabled players would come play? Well, no. But it does happen, and it is a form of time travel. You're not going to tell me that Shoeless Joe and the mystery player who makes an appearance at the end aren't real, are you? Because...that would mean that you indeed have a heart of stone. Watch this movie, and you'll melt, too.

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