Jonathan and David crack open Independence Day for the Fourth of July.
David bought this one at 18, no clear reason why. Jonathan’s history runs deeper — caught it on TV around age 10-12, nightmares included. The jump scare still gets both of them today.
Jonathan starts with gripes (per usual?) with runtime, overstuffed cast, a satellite-hacking subplot nobody fully understands. By the end both agree this is a movie built for ages 16 to 22 with the spectacle and debris.
Some Talking Points
Jeff Goldblum’s job reads as newspaper reporter, actually satellite engineer
Randy Quaid’s whole arc, abduction backstory, drunk crop-duster energy, redemption via flying up the ship’s weak point..
The Secretary of Defense Nimitski. We talk about a Secret Base video1 that makes the connection for a real deal writers grudge with a previous producer
The president’s speech is guaranteed to get you out of your seat, also somehow unites the entire world’s militaries just on pure aura alone
Practical effects overall are memorable between the White House explosion, the RV convoy on the salt flats, and the alien
Will Smith’s one-liners, are they ranked among his best?
In the end, we are two dads, debating insurance paperwork and structural physics instead of just enjoying the movie, only to finally give in once the flying doritos show up. Happy Independence Day!
