The DeLorean, a sleek silver sports car, serves as the time machine created by the eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett Brown. Its unique design and the flux capacitor, which enables time travel, are central to the plot. The car's ability to travel through time is activated when it reaches 88 miles per hour, making it a crucial element in Marty McFly's adventures.

Marty McFly, a teenager, accidentally travels back to 1955 when he is chased by terrorists after stealing a plutonium case from them. He jumps into the DeLorean, which is powered by plutonium, and inadvertently activates the time machine while trying to escape, sending him back to a time before he was born.

In 1955, Marty faces several challenges, including the need to ensure his parents, George and Lorraine, fall in love, or he risks erasing his own existence. He struggles with the social dynamics of the 1950s, including the bullying from Biff Tannen, and must navigate the complexities of his parents' teenage lives while trying to find a way back to 1985.

Doc Brown, who is much younger in 1955, becomes Marty's ally after Marty reveals his identity and the truth about time travel. Doc helps Marty devise a plan to generate the necessary 1.21 gigawatts of electricity needed to power the DeLorean for the return trip to 1985. They plan to harness the energy from a lightning strike at the clock tower, which is set to occur at a specific time.

The Enchantment Under the Sea dance is a pivotal event in the film, as it is the moment when George McFly must ask Lorraine to dance and ultimately kiss her to ensure their future together. Marty intervenes to help his father gain confidence, and the dance becomes a backdrop for key emotional moments, including Marty's attempts to ensure his own existence while also dealing with Biff's bullying.