The running time for the 1985 film Back to the Future, excluding the closing credits, was one hour and 52 minutes (112 minutes). While Doc's voice is heard early on, Doc Brown and the DeLorean time machine are not seen until nearly 20 minutes into the movie. The first half hour, and the last ten minutes, of the film take place entirely in 1985, while the remainder is in 1955.
Dialogue early in the film often refers to an event seen much later; at minute 10, the Clock Tower Lady tells Marty and Jennifer that "Thirty years ago, lightning struck that clock and it hasn't run since!", and in minute 100, the lightning strike on the clock is seen. In another example, at minute 15, Lorraine talks about her brother Joey having failed to make parole; exactly half an hour later, Marty meets Joey, who in 1955 is "behind bars" as a baby in a playpen.
Starting with Minute Zero (0:00 to 0:59), the minutes of the film, and the major characters introduced, are as follows:
- 0-Clocks are seen with the opening titles, and the camera slowly zooms out.
- 1-The first news articles are visible, the radio comes on with a Statler Toyota commercial, and the television newscaster reports about the stolen plutonium.
- 2-Doc Brown’s gadgets begin operating.
- 3-Marty McFly arrives.
- 4-Marty overloads the amplifier.
- 5-Doc (voice only) calls on the phone and tells Marty to meet him at the Twin Pines Mall, and all the clocks sound at 8:25 am.
- 6-Marty skateboards through downtown Hill Valley, past the clock tower, and on to school.
- 7-Jennifer meets Marty at the door, and they run into Mr. Strickland
- 8-Marty’s audition for the Battle of the Bands fails.
- 9-Marty and Jennifer walk downtown and talk about their weekend plans.
- 10-The Clock Tower Lady interrupts Marty and Jennifer and gives him a flyer.
- 11-Marty skateboards from downtown to his home at Lyon Estates.
- 12-George McFly and Biff Tannen are in a confrontation as Marty sees the wrecked car.
- 13-Biff bullies George, and George apologizes to Marty about being so timid.
- 14-Dave and Linda join Marty and George for dinner.
- 15-Lorraine talks about Uncle Jailbird Joey and pours herself a drink.
- 16-Lorraine reminisces about the night of November 12, 1955
- 17-Doc calls Marty at home to remind him to bring a video camera
- 18-Einstein comes out as Marty arrives at the Twin Pines Mall
- 19-The DeLorean Time Machine is rolled out, and Doc Brown steps out to greet Marty.
- 20-Doc straps Einstein into the DeLorean.
- 21-Doc begins the first temporal experiment.
- 22-Marty is horrified to watch Einstein get “disintegrated” and Doc describes time travel.
- 23-The DeLorean returns, covered with ice, and the experiment is a success.
- 24-Doc explains the time machine and tells Marty ”I’ll show you how it works!”
- 25-Doc enters 11-05-1955 on the display for destination time.
- 26-Doc explains about the need for 1.21 jigowatts of electricity to power the time cirucits.
- 27-Doc prepares to leave for 2010 and then remembers he needs extra plutonium.
- 28-Doc realizes that the Libyans have found him.
- 29-The Libyan gunman shoots Doc, but his gun jams when he fires at Marty.
- 30-Marty jumps into the DeLorean, turns the time circuits on and flees from the Libyans.
- 31-Marty sees if those bastards can do 90, breaks the time barrier at 88 mph and arrives at the Twin Pines Farm on November 5, 1955.
- 32-The Peabody family comes out to find Marty has crashed into their barn, and mistakes him for a visitor from outer space.
- 33-Marty flees from Otis Peabody and runs over one of his twin pine trees.
- 34-Marty tries to drive home and finds that Lyon Estates has not been built yet.
- 35-Marty hides the DeLorean, walks two miles toward Hill Valley.
- 36-Marty hears the clock tower ring at 8:30.
- 37-Lou Carruthers argues with Marty at the café.
- 38-Young Biff and his gang enter the café
- 39-Young George is intimidated by Biff, and Marty realizes he’s sitting next to his father.
- 40-Goldie Wilson interrupts while Marty is talking to George
- 41-Marty chases after George, and realizes his Dad is a peeping tom.
- 42-Sam Baines hits Marty with the car, rather than George, changing history.
- 43-Marty wakes up after nine hours, hears his mother talking.
- 44-Young Lorraine switches on the lights and begins flirting with Marty
- 45-Stella Baines introduces Marty to the rest of the Baines family (Milton, Sally, Toby and Joey)
- 46-Marty stays for dinner and watches The Honeymooners
- 47-Marty leaves abruptly and Sam observes, “He’s an idiot.”
- 48-Young Dr. Brown opens the door for Marty at the Brown mansion.
- 49-Marty tells Doc, “I’m from the future” and Doc doesn’t believe him
- 50-Marty recounts the story about the bruise, and wins Doc’s confidence.
- 51-Doc and Marty retrieve the DeLorean from Lyon Estates.
- 52-Doc hooks up watches the video camera and watches the tape
- 53-Doc tells Marty he can‘t return to 1985 (”1.21 jigowatts!!!!!! It’s can’t be done!!!”)
- 54-Doc reads the flyer and figures out how to return Marty back to 1985.
- 55-Doc realizes that Marty is slowly being erased from existence, and that Marty must somehow reunite his parents.
- 56-Dixon and his gang, and young Mr. Strickland, are seen by Marty at Hill Valley High.
- 57-Marty tries unsuccessfully to introduce George to Lorraine.
- 58-Marty and Doc see the poster for the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
- 59-Marty talks to George in the lunchroom and learns that his father writes science fiction.
- 60-Marty confronts Biff in the lunchroom.
- 61-Halfway through the film, Marty follows George to George’s home.
- 62-Marty impersonates “Darth Vader… from the planet Vulcan”.
- 63-Marty sees George in town the next afternoon, tells him how to talk to Lorraine.
- 64-George approaches Lorraine as Marty watches.
- 65-Marty punches Biff and runs out of the café.
- 66-Biff’s gang chases Marty around the Courthouse Square.
- 67-Biff crashes into the manure truck
- 68-Marty returns to Doc’s lab.
- 69-Doc demonstrates the plan on a crude model that is not to scale.
- 70-Doc inquires of Marty, “Did he ask her out?”
- 71-Lorraine arrives at Doc’s mansion.
- 72-Lorraine tells Marty she wants a fighter.
- 73-Marty and George go over the fight plans.
- 74-The radio weatherman says it will be cool and cloudy, not knowing a storm is on the way.
- 75-Marty writes the “Do not open until 1985” letter, places it in the pocket of Doc‘s raincoat.
- 76-George is at the dance.
- 77-Marty and Lorraine pull into the parking lot.
- 78-The Starlighters take a break.
- 79-Lorraine kisses Marty, realizes that something’s wrong.
- 80-Biff pulls Marty from the car and then turns his attention to Lorraine.
- 81-Biff’s gang locks Marty in the Starlighters’ trunk.
- 82-George opens the car door and discovers he’s confronting Biff.
- 83-George knocks Biff out cold.
- 84-Marty begs the Starlighters to continue the dance.
- 85-Marty plays the guitar during “Earth Angel”, worries about fading from existence.
- 86-George kisses Lorraine for the first time.
- 87-Marty jams to “Johnny B. Goode”
- 88-Marty segues into heavy metal.
- 89-Marty tells the high schoolers that they‘re not ready for heavy metal, ”But your kids are gonna love it.”
- 90-Marty tells George and Lorraine goodbye.
- 91-Marty arrives at the Clock Tower with only minutes to spare.
- 92-Marty and Doc say goodbye
- 93-Doc finds the letter in his pocket.
- 94-The cable becomes disconnected and Doc has to climb up the Clock Tower stairs to fix it.
- 95-The clock strikes 10:00 while Doc’s on the ledge.
- 96-Marty drives down the street, finds the “Start Here” line, and prepares his return.
- 97-Marty alters the time setting, but then can’t get the car restarted.
- 98-Doc almost falls when the ledge breaks, while Marty manages to start the car.
- 99-Doc attaches the lightning rod to the clock as Marty races toward the wire.
- 100-The lightning bolt strikes the clock tower.
- 101-Doc in 1955 sees that Marty has gone back to the future.
- 102-Marty is back in 1985.
- 103-Marty sees the Libyans drive by him but can’t start the car.
- 104-Marty sees his other self from a distance, finds that Doc has survived the shooting.
- 105-Doc drops Marty off at home and heads to 2015.
- 106-Marty wakes up in his 1985 bedroom.
- 107-Marty sees the new Linda and Dave.
- 108-Marty meets the new George and Lorraine.
- 109-The new Biff is waxing George's BMW.
- 110-Marty sees the 4 x 4 and Jennifer comes by.
- 111-Doc returns from 2015 and gets Marty and Jennifer.
- 112-End titles