Ironically, Reagan’s optimistic vision of America’s future is in part based on its past. Reagan cites Doc Brown’s famous closing line from the film, “where we’re going, we don’t need roads” ( BTTF 01:51:37), to suggest that the future of the United States looks hopeful, despite some aspects that may need improvement. 1 In his 1986 State of the Union address, the previous actor and then-President Ronald Reagan ends with a quote from the top-grossing block buster movie Back to the Future, which had been released a year earlier.
