I remember seeing this movie for the first time in a theater not too long after opening day. I was all by myself, and nearly twenty five minutes before show time, the large theater was already a quarter full -- a heartier matinee audience than any movie had a right to expect. The air vibrated with sound -- the thrum of a multitude of conflicting conversations, the rise and fall of laughter, and the crunch of popcorn being devoured long before the movie even began. Although a large portion of the audience consisted of teenage boys, the cross-generational slice that turned out to see Independence Day was surprising. Senior citizens sat side by side with seven year olds. I was impressed long before the opening credits rolled.
I've seen the movie on video many times since, and love it still. It is a science fiction thriller of epic proportions, at once both entertaining and awe-inspiring -- that rarity of a movie where the audience holds its collective breath until the c losing credits role and the lights come back up. It is the story of an earth that is struggling valiantly to survive against all odds. From the initial appearance of the extraterrestrial visitors in a fiery, turbulent sky, the cards are stacked against humankind's survival, and by the time the visitors' intentions are made clear, all seems hopeless. That is the mark of a good thriller -- pitting your heroes and heroines against seemingly insurmountable odds, and keeping the suspense at a feverish pitch until either good or evil triumphs. After all, these days not all stories have happy endings.
In this way, ID4 hearkens back to a sub-genre of science fiction several decades old and represented by such classic films as The Day the Earth Stood Still and Earth Versus the Flying Saucers, all with the main theme of Us against Them. It is a sub-genre worthy of a renaissance in an age of magical special effects and in a time where there is more of a reason than ever to ask th e eons-old dramatic question -- Can humankind unite against a common enemy.
Independence Day is a groundbreaking effort in the use of models, stunts, and computer generated imagery. The film's pyrotechnics are without equal. Produced by Dean Devlin and directed by Roland Emmerich, the scenes of nationwide devastation, of major cities flattened by massive, atomic-scale fireballs, vehicles spiraling like missiles through the air, people fleeing urban streets in terror, are a pyromaniac's dream-come-true. But as spectacular as some of its stunts are, Independence Day does not hide an inferior plot behind its special effects -- nor do the special effects eclipse the strength or drawing power of the lead characters.
ID4 brings to screen a cast of likeable characters, and not since The Terminator have characters displayed more out and out gumption in the face of great adversity. From bit parts through to the movie's leads, Independence Day includes a cast of well-known actors. Casting choices for the major leads run to the peculiar, with Bill Pullman as the unlikely choice for the young, controversial President Whitmore. Pullman, well-known for his role in the romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping, rises to the occasion as a president who leads not only the United States, but the entire world in a battle to end all battles -- a war of the worlds even H.G. Wells would admire. Pullman brings something to the role of the President of the United States that is often lacking in movies of this nature -- dignity and humanity. He is a husband and father as well as the president, and he balances the dual aspects of his character's nature with charm.
Will Smith, whose claim to fame before Independence Day was as a comedic actor, was a surprisingly successful choice for one of the male leads, that of a gifted fighter pilot with aspirations to become an astronaut. As Marine Captain Steve Hiller, Will Smith brings an easy humor to the role, pr oviding an oft-needed oasis of comic relief in a desert of high suspense. With some of the most disarming lines in the film, Smith's delivery does not disappoint.
A less surprising casting choice, Jeff Goldblum, who is known for his quirky film roles such as the chaos mathematician in Jurassic Park, is not to be overlooked. He portrays David, the super-bright, environmentally conscious cable technician who first discovers an alien signal embedded in the earth's failed satellites, and subsequently becomes a major player in the fight to save humankind. As another less-than-conventional male lead, Goldblum gives the performance that audiences have come to expect from him, playing a character that is at once endearing and multifaceted.
But without a doubt, one of the shining stars of Independence Day is Randy Quaid as Russell, a decorated Vietnam veteran turned drunken crop duster. Russell is a character that inspires more curiosity than sympathy, and a whole lot of expectation. While Russell's claims of alien abduction years earlier may serve to discredit him, watchful viewers see right from the start that Russell's brightest moment may be yet to come.
Rounding out the cast are Margaret Colin as Constance, David's ex-wife and trusted White House aide, Robert Loggia as General Gray, Vivica Fox as Steve Hiller's girlfriend, Jasmine, and Brent Spiner as the eccentric Area 51 scientist, Dr. Okun. One of the films major successes in characterization, however, is the relationship between David and his father, Julius, who is played with great gusto by an old favorite, Judd Hirsch. The chemistry between the two actors is irresistible and refreshing. It is the subtleties in these relationships that propel ID4 forward and keep the audience breathless, wondering what fate awaits these characters. It is characterization that in the end usually makes or breaks a film, and Independence Day has characters that bring the story home.
Anothe r crop of summer movies waits just around the bend this year, including several promising science fiction flicks, I'm sure, but even the best of them will have trouble living up to the breadth and scope of ID4. After all, eager science fiction lovers everywhere got plenty of fireworks this Independence Day.
Lisa is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.
Author:: Lisa Koosis
Keywords:: Independence Day,ID4,science fiction movies,Will Smith,Aliens,alien invasion,movie review,Action
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