independence day film independence day styled american epic science fiction film directed written considered significant turning point history hollywood blockbuster film focuses disparate groups people converge nevada desert aftermath attack ostensibly powerful extraterrestrial race unknown origin rest human population launch ditch counterattack july date independence day united_states promoting stargate europe came idea film fielding question belief existence alien life decided incorporate large scale attack having noticed aliens invasion films travel long distances outer space remain hidden reaching earth shooting began july new_york_city film officially completed june film scheduled release july began showing july day film story begins theaters result high level anticipation film grossed million worldwide highest grossing film briefly second highest grossing film worldwide time park june ranks 55th highest grossing films worldwide forefront large scale disaster film sci resurgence mid-1990s film received positive reviews release critics praising groundbreaking special effects musical score patriotic theme acting focused primarily performances smith criticized storyline character development won academy award best visual effects nominated sequel independence day resurgence released june plot july enormous alien fourth mass moon enters orbit earth deploying smaller spacecraft miles wide positions earth major cities military bases mit trained satellite technician signal embedded global satellite determines counting coordinated attack help wife director father gain access warn president aliens hostile orders large scale evacuations new_york_city los_angeles late reaches zero ships activate devastating directed energy weapons killing millions narrowly escape aboard air force capital destroyed locations ships positioned july international military leaders begin ordering individual aviation forces attack destroyer ships positioned ruins cities protected force fields destroyer launches attack fighters human fighter squadrons captain squadron survives attacker enclosed spaces sacrificing plane forcing alien crash land injured alien pilot flags convoy refugees ride combat pilot transport unconscious alien nearby area group landed secretary defense learn faction government involved ufo conspiracy invaders attack fighters crashed area houses refurbished attacker ship alien corpses recovered crash eccentric scientist examines alien regains consciousness attacks mind uses vocal communicate launching psychic attack begins seeing visions aliens collecting resources moving planet planet life secret service agents military officers kill alien reluctantly nuclear attack spirit fires nuclear cruise missile destroyer positioned houston ship remains intact july demonstrates key defeating aliens force fields way computer virus proposes refurbished attack ship gain entry volunteers pilot able virus deploy nuclear weapon board military pilots short supply help volunteers flight experience including leads attack destroyer ship bearing area fighters able inflict damage supply missiles quickly exhausted destroyer prepares fire base missile jams decides sacrifice life flies plane style directed energy weapon port results explosion destroys ship human resistance forces world successfully destroy craft vulnerability victory returned area unharmed reunite families military officers nearby accompany daughter watching wreckage burns resembling fireworks display enters earth atmosphere cast smith captain assured pilot astronaut turned nasa envisioned african american role specifically wanted smith seeing performance degrees separation 42nd president united_states fighter pilot prepare role read commanders watched documentary film war room mit educated computer expert chess working satellite technician cable television company new_york_city lady united states president wife david widowed father shares son enthusiasm chess character based producer general head modeled character world war generals particularly widowed alcoholic crop veteran vietnam war pilot claims abducted aliens years prior film events shortly completing military service director david wife single mother girlfriend later wife exotic dancer united_states secretary defense director cia member ufo conspirators government described character like character eventual firing mgm head advertising reportedly created unpleasant experiences studio executives forced stargate david boss major mitchell united_states_air_force area commanding officer highly scientist charge research area appeared killed alien returned sequel revealed character merely coma character appearance verbal style based visual effects supervisor worked stargate eldest children according novelization russell teenage daughter russell young son son later president daughter captain watson exotic dancer friend captain steve best friend fellow pilot took originally cast role fellow fighter pilot production development idea film came europe promoting film stargate reporter asked film content like stargate believe aliens stated fascinated idea alien arrival explained response asking reporter imagine like wake morning discover mile wide world largest cities turned said think idea film decided expand idea incorporating large scale attack saying bothered fact alien invasion movies come earth hidden field arrive little spores head agreed asking arriving galaxy hide farm big entrance wrote script month long vacation mexico day sent consideration 20th century fox chairman screenplay pre production began days later february military originally intended provide personnel vehicles costumes film backed producers refused remove script area references record plus special effects shots ultimately required film shoot utilized set camera special effects computer generated effects effort save money authentic results shots accomplished hughes aircraft california film art department motion control photography teams team model shop headquartered production model making department built twice production built film creating buildings city streets aircraft landmarks monuments crew built featured film including foot destroyer model version mother ship spanning feet city streets recreated upright beneath high speed camera mounted filming downwards explosion ignited model flames rise camera model creating rolling wall destruction look seen film model white_house created covering feet feet forced perspective shots destroyed similar fashion destruction scene took week plan required explosive charges film aliens designed production designer actual aliens film based design drew tasked create alien familiar completely original creatures wear mechanical suits based design pitched suits feet tall equipped purposely designed sustain person inside appear man suit filming principal photography began july new_york_city second unit gathered plate shots establishing shots manhattan community arizona large array plains san new_mexico main crew filmed nearby park new_jersey moving mill california film post attack los_angeles sequences production moved utah nevada doubled doubled filmed pre battle speech immediately filming scene decided add today celebrate independence day end speech time production nicknamed owned rights title independence day hoped fox executives noticed addition impact new dialogue help win rights title right use title eventually won weeks later production team moved film scenes returned california film places los_angeles including hughes aircraft sets cable company area interiors constructed aircraft plant sets included corridors containing windows covered blue material filmmakers originally intended use key technique appear activity happening glass images added final print production designers decided blue panels gave sets clinical look attacker hangar set contained attacker mock feet wide took months build white_house interior sets built american president previously nixon principal photography completed november film originally depicted rejected volunteer july aerial alcoholism uses stolen missile tied red carry suicide mission according test audiences responded scene irony comedic value scene shot include russell acceptance volunteer crash course flying modern fighter aircraft flying instead preferred alteration viewer witnesses russell ultimately making decision sacrifice life seeing keeping pace flying believable film officially completed june music grammy award winning score film composed recorded orchestra choir stereotypical muster occasion film producer commented leave brit write patriotic music history american cinema soundtrack received official releases released minute album time film release released limited edition set comprised complete score plus alternate cues premiere independence day live place royal albert hall september film score performed live screening film celebrates twentieth anniversary film release event feature pre film talk release film post production fox began massive marketing campaign help promote film beginning airing dramatic commercial super bowl paid million film subsequent success box office resulted trend super bowl air time kick advertising campaign potential fox licensing merchandising division entered promotional deals marketing project dubbed power save world campaign company footage david print television advertisements entered merchandising deal film producers create line tie toys exchange product placement fox entered promotional deals film marketed including believed weren july wish earth good look don plans august weekend film release aired half hour special film spoof news report events happen film roger_ebert attributed film early success teaser trailers marketing campaigns acknowledging truly brilliant film official premiere held defunct june screened privately white house president bill_clinton family receiving nationwide release united_states july day earlier previously scheduled opening week million marketing campaign independence day released vhs november available dvd june released different versions format varying supplemental material including instance packaged cover accessible versions special edition film features minutes additional footage seen original theatrical release independence day available blu ray discs united_kingdom december north_america march australia march blu ray edition include deleted scenes released blu ray dvd digital released ultra blu ray june 20th anniversary edition new blu ray edition includes theatrical special edition unlike original censorship lebanon certain jewish israel related content film censored cut scene involved character leading soldiers white_house officials jewish prayer removed footage showed israeli arab troops working preparation alien invasion militant group called muslims boycott film describing propaganda called genius jews concern humanity response jewish actor said think missed point film american jews saving world people different religions defeat common enemy twentieth anniversary release film twentieth anniversary premiere special live orchestral screening performance royal albert hall september conducted original perform score live film film composer presenter event reception box office independence day highest grossing film united_states independence day earned million week including million day holiday opening million opening weekend figures broke records set years earlier film sequel lost world claimed records released following year independence day stayed number spot consecutive weeks grossed north_america territories theatrical run combined total trailed worldwide earnings highest time estimates film sold million tickets surpassed multiple 21st century films currently holds 51st highest worldwide gross time film hoping capitalize film success studios released large scale disaster films rising interest science fiction related media increased film popularity month film release jewelry designers marketing reported increased interest themed jewelry character wears presented wedding ring featuring gold critical response release independence day received praise visuals sense fun criticism writing rotten_tomatoes reports score based reviews site critical consensus reading plot thin character development thrilling spectacle filled summer movie independence day delivers metacritic film score based critics indicating mixed average reviews critics noted film cardboard stereotypical characters weak dialogue shot white_house destruction declared milestone visual effects memorable scenes 1990s poll readers entertainment_weekly rated second greatest summer film previous years ranking san_francisco_chronicle gave film highest rating declaring star wars entertainment_weekly gave living massive hype adding charm foremost epic contemporary characteristics script witty knowing cool years later entertainment_weekly rate film best disaster films time los_angeles_times felt film excellent job conveying extraterrestrial vehicles panic streets scenes alien attack disturbing unsettling completely convincing film overtones widely criticized reviewers outside described film mash elements wide variety alien invasion movies american speech states victory coming war entire world henceforth describe july independence day described bbc review jaw delivered mainstream hollywood movie readers empire voted scene contained speech conversely empire critic gave film star rating magazine original review film prominent critics expressed disappointment quality film special effects newsweek claimed special effects better caliber seen nineteen years earlier star wars variety felt production budget conscious approach resulted cheesy shots lacked quality relative effects present films directed steven_spielberg review roger_ebert took note lack imagination spaceship creature designs expressed sentiments movies review film american_film_institute lists afi years thrills nominated afi nominated science fiction film accolades legacy disaster elements portrayed independence day represented significant turning point hollywood blockbuster films cgi special effects events depicting mass destruction commonplace films soon followed armageddon deep impact trend continued 2000s 2010s evident films like day tomorrow media books author stephen wrote tie novel help promote film shortly release novel goes detail characters situations overall concepts explored film novel presents film finale originally scripted character played stealing missile following film success prequel novel entitled independence day written february novel set late 1960s early 1970s details early career wrote novel independence day war desert july set saudi_arabia july centers captain colonel thompson royal_air_force officers seen receiving code message film marvel comic book written based radio august bbc_radio_1 broadcast hour play independence day written produced directed spin depicting alien invasion british perspective original cast present gave permission produce original version condition reveal certain details movie plot british depicted saving day independence day set similar radio broadcast war worlds minutes live video games independence day video game released february playstation version receiving reviews multi view shooter game contains missions perform ultimate goal destroying aliens primary weapon wireless mobile version released computer game entitled online released toys released toy line film action figure vehicle came disk contained interactive computer game sequel june confirmed written treatment sequels form trilogy expressed desire smith return october discussions smith returning halted fox refusal provide million salary demanded smith sequels assurances films shot regardless smith involvement march stated titles new films forever november sequel given green light 20th century fox release date june stand sequel split parts originally planned filming beginning casting studio locked director film december confirmed directing sequel june announced official title independence day resurgence respect smith decision return film sequel told beginning wanted work excited tired sequels science fiction film father son story earth opted independence day resurgence released june
Independence Day (1996 film)