Independence Day (1996)
On the eve of Independence Day, a group of aliens attack the Earth.
Genre
Characters/Groups
Capt. Steven Hiller - Will Smith
President Thomas J. Whitmore - Bill Pullman
David Levinson - Jeff Goldblum
Marilyn Whitmore - Mary McDonnell
General William Grey - Robert Loggia
Constance Spano - Margaret Colin
Albert Nimziki - James Rebhorn
Marty Gilbert - Harvey Fierstein
Dr. Brakish Okun - Brent Spiner
Jasmine Dubrow - Vivica A. Fox
Patricia Whitmore - Mae Whitman
Captain Watson - Bill Smitrovich
Capt. Jimmy Wilder - Harry Connick, Jr.
Techy/Med Asst 1 - Leland Orser
Aides - Mirron E. Willis and Ross Lacy
Whitmore's Aide - David Pressman
Tech/Med Asst - Vivian Palermo
Commander/Tech - Raphael Sbarge
Commanding Officers - Bobby Hosea and Dan Lauria
Radar Techs - Steve Giannelli and Eric Paskel
Radar Operator - Carlos LaCamara
Secret Servicemen - John Bennett Perry and Troy Willis
Area 51 Technician - Wayne Wilderson
SETI Tech Three - Jana Marie Hupp
Lt. Peterson - Capt. Michael "Chewy" Vacca
Secret Service Agent - David Chanel
Sky Crane Pilot - Derek Webster
Pilots - Mark Fite and Eric Neal Newman
Russian Pilots - Levani and Kristof Konrad
Tank Commander - Kevin Sifuentes
Mechanics - Randy Oglesby and Jack Moore
Street Preacher - Barry Del Sherman
Secret Service Guy - Lyman Ward
Reporters - Joe Fowler, Andrew Warne and Sharon Tay
Russian Reporter - Peter Jozef Lucas
Russian Newscaster - Yelena Danova
German Video Newscaster - Jessika Cardinahl
Video Newscasters - Gary W. Cruz, Ron Pitts, Wendy L. Walsh, Christine Devine, and Mark Thompson
Rex Black/NY Newscaster - Ernie Anastos
Atlantic Air CINC - Kevin Cooney
Japanese Tech - Nelson Mashita
Themselves - Fred Barnes, Eleanor Clift, Jerry Dunphy, Jack Germond, Morton Kondracke, John McLaughlin, Barry Nolan and George Putnam
Northridge Field Reporter - Eric Michael Zee
Intellectual on Roof - Malcolm Danare
Trucker on Roof - Arthur Brooks
Master C.P.O. - James J. Joyce
Kim Peters (Reporter) - Joyce Cohen
Entertainment Tonight Reporter - Julie Moran
Flagstaff News Anchor - Robin Groth
LAPD Helicopter Pilot - Richard Pachorek
Tech/Med Asst 3 - Tracey Walter
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
July 2nd, at S.E.T.I. in New Mexico, SETI Tech One is on duty when an alarm starts to go off. He calls SETI Chief and puts the phone next to the computer speakers. SETI Tech Two tells SETI Chief that no air traffic is in the area. SETI Chief tells SETI Tech Three to get in touch with Space Command to let them know and SETI Tech Three tells SETI Chief the signal is coming from the moon. General William Grey asks a Commanding Officer who else knows about the space signal. Commanding Officer tells General Grey that only S.E.T.I. knows about it and the space mass has a mass roughly 1/4th the size of the moon. Second Officer tells General Grey that it is not a meteor as it is slowing down. General Grey then calls Albert Nimziki. Marilyn Whitmore calls President Thomas J. Whitmore and after confirming that Marilyn will return after lunch, he hands the phone off to Patricia Whitmore. Fred Barnes is on the television discussing the approval ratings of President Whitmore with Morton Kondracke and Eleanor Clift. President Whitmore hands the sports section to one of the Secret Servicemen and says hello to Constance Spano. Constance tells President Whitmore that he is being criticized due to his youthfulness and for compromising. Whitmore's Aide tells President Whitmore that Nimziki is calling. In Brooklyn, David Levinson is playing chess with Julius Levinson. Julius tells David, he should move on from his divorce. Co-Worker 2, Co-Worker 3 and Co-Worker 4 are taking calls from angry cable customers when David arrives and Marty Gilbert runs up to David and tells him that all the stations have suddenly started having disturbances. David reads what is happening with all the signals and doesn't believe it is possible. In Imperial Valley, California, Troy tells Miguel the television signal has gone bad. Lucas drives up to their trailer in his truck and shows Miguel and Alicia a handful of wilted crops and threatens to fire Russell Casse if he doesn't crop dust his field within 20 minutes. Miguel rides his motorcycle and waves at Russell who is flying his plane above a field and then crop dusts it. Russell lands the plane and Miguel tells him, Lucas' field is on the other side of town as Farmer Kid and his family watch and stare at Russell take a drink of liquor. The Aides tell Constance that the news is running a story that the administration is covering up a nuclear testing experiment and NASA wants to know their position on the phenomenon. The Chief of Staff, General Grey, Nimziki and President Whitmore argue on what to do next. Nimziki tells Atlantic Air CINC to upgrade to DEFCON 3. Another Commanding Officer walks in and tells the group that the object has split into multiple smaller objects and will be entering their atmosphere soon. David tells Marty that he found a weird signal embedded in the satellite feed and he should be able to block it. In the Northern Desert of Iraq, a group of Bedouin run up a hill as a large glowing object enters the atmosphere. On the USS Georgia, Lieutenant is told by Sailor that they are suffering from radar black out, but the infrared shows a large object coming their way. Lieutenant then calls Atlantic Air CINC. Commanding Officer is told by Second Officer that an object has been spotted over Iraq , which Commanding Officer repeats to Atlantic Air CINC. General Grey tells President Whitmore about another object heading towards California. George Putnam gives a report on events taking place in Russia, which is then explained locally by Russian Reporter who describes the hysteria in the area as a large object appears out of the sky. Russian Newscaster continues that the object is headed towards Moscow. General Grey tells President Whitmore that they have an AWACS off the Pacific Coast as Lincoln is on the phone. Radar Techs tell Lt. Peterson and a fellow Pilot that side radar is picking up nothing. Lt. Peterson and the pilot relay this information, but their AWACS explodes when it makes contact with the suddenly appearing large object. Military Aide says they lost the signal and Atlantic Air CINC tells everyone two more objects have been spotted heading towards New York City and Washington, D.C. The Master C.P.O. is talking on the phone as Nimziki tells Whitmore's Aide to organize a military escort, but President Whitmore decides he is staying. President Whitmore tells Constance to have the National Broadcast system advise people not to panic. A Video Newscaster reports on the object entering Russia as Co-Worker 2 asks David if he has been watching what is going on. David tells Marty that the signal is going to be over in seven hours. Marty ignores him and motions towards the television and Co-Worker 3 tells Marty that Jamie told him the building had a bomb shelter and Marty tells everyone to head to the basement.