Independence Day

Captain Steven Hiller

• Look, I really don't think they flew ninety billion light years to come down here and start a fight, and get all rowdy.

• No, sir, I'm just a little anxious to get up there and whup E.T.'s ass, that's all.

• That's right! That's what you get! Look at you! Ship all banged up! Who's the man? Who's the man?! Wait until I get another plane! I am going to line up all your friends right beside you!

• Welcome to Earth!

• Now that's what I call a close encounter.

• Oh, no. You did NOT shoot that green shit at me!

• Y'know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo. You got me out here, draggin' your heavy ass, through the burnin' desert, with your dreadlocks sticking out the back of my parachute. You gotta come down here with an attitude, actin' all big and bad…and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL?! [screams and kicks alien] I could've been at a BARBECUE! But I ain't mad.

• I have GOT to get me one of these!

• Peace!

• WHOOOOO!!! Elvis has left the building!

David Levinson

• Must go faster, must go faster, gogogogogogogogo...

• Time's up.

• This thing comes fully loaded. Reclining bucket seats, AM/FM radio and... power windows.

• I gave it a cold... I gave it a virus. A computer virus.

• They're using our own satellites against us. The clock is ticking.

• Checkmate...

• Oh, thank you very much. Oh, I love you man!

Julius Levinson

• 'All you need is love.' John Lennon, smart man, shot in the back - very sad.

• Everyone's trying to get out of Washington, and we're the only schmucks trying to get in.

• If you're so smart, tell me something, how come you go to M.I.T. for 8 years to become a cable repairman?

• It's the White House. You don't just go up to the door and ring the bell.

• If I had known I was gonna meet the president I would've worn a tie. Look at me, I look like a schliemiel.

• You punched the president?

• It's Air Force One for crying out loud and still he gets sick!

Russel Casse

• On a more personal note sir, ever since I was kidnapped by aliens ten years ago, I've been dyin' for some payback. Just lettin' you know, I won't let you down.

• I picked a helluva day to quit drinkin'.

• Sorry I'm late, Mr. President!

• All right, you alien assholes! In the words of my generation: Up Yours!

• Payback's a bitch, ain't it?

• Hello, boys, I'm Baaaack!

President Thomas Whitmore

• Isn't it amazing how quickly everyone can turn against you.

• I saw... its thoughts. I saw what they're planning to do. Like locusts, they're spreading from planet to planet, their whole civilization. After consuming natural resources, they move on and we're next. Nuke 'em. Let's nuke the bastards.

• Good morning.. Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind. That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom...Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution...but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

• I'm a combat pilot, Will. I belong in the air.

• Okay, boys, let's give Mr. Casse some cover. Gentlemen! Let's plow the road!

Others

• SETI Technician: It's the real thing! A radio signal from another world!

• Older Boy: [to his girlfriend] This may be our last night on earth. You don't want to die a virgin, do you?

• Video Newscaster: Once again, the L.A.P.D. is asking Los Angelenos not to fire their guns at the visitor spacecraft. You may inadvertently trigger an interstellar war.

• Dr. Okun: Mr. President! Wow! This is…what a pleasure. As you can imagine, they…they don't let us out much.

• Dr. Okun: [before showing the aliens to the President Whitmore] This is the vault. Or as some of us like to call it: The Freak Show.

• Cpt. Jimmy Wilder: Let's kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy!

• Albert Nimzicki: Two words, Mr. President: Plausible deniability.

• Connie Spano: Our official position is: We don't have an official position.

Dialogue

Jasmine Dubrow: There you go, thinking you're all that. But you are not as charming as you think you are, sir.

Captain Steven Hiller: Yes, I am.

President Whitmore: I have a confession to make, I'm sleeping next to a beautiful young brunette.

Marilyn Whitmore: You didn't let her stay up all night watching TV, did you?

President Whitmore: [hands the phone to daughter Patricia] Talk to your mother.

Patricia Whitmore: Daddy let me watch Letterman.

President Whitmore: Traitor.

Marty Gilbert: A countdown... wait, a countdown to what David?

David Levinson: It's like in chess: First, you strategically position your pieces and when the timing is right you strike. They're using this signal to synchronize their efforts and in approximately six hours the countdown will be over.

Marty Gilbert: And then what?

David Levinson: Checkmate.

Marty Gilbert: Oh, my God. I gotta call my brother, my housekeeper, my lawyer. Nah, forget my lawyer.

Constance: Haven't you ever wanted to be part of something special?

David Levinson: I was part of something special.

[Julius discards a styrofoam cup]

David Levinson: Hey, you have any idea how long it takes for those cups to decompose?

Julius Levinson: If you don't move soon, I'm gonna start to decompose.

Constance: Now what do we do?

President Thomas Whitmore: Address the nation. There's gonna be a lot of frightened people out there.

Constance: Yeah? I'm one of 'em.

Julius Levinson: Hey, don't you tell him to shut up! You'd all be dead now if it weren't for my David! None of you did anything to prevent this!

General Grey: There was nothing we could do!

Julius Levinson: Oh don't give me that! You knew about this for a long time! What with that spaceship you found in New Mexico! What was it called... Roswell, New Mexico! And that other place... uh... Area 51, Area 51! You knew then! And you did nothing!

President Whitmore: Mr. Levinson, you're mistaken. There is no Area 51. There is no spaceship:

Albert Nimzicki: Uh... Mr. President. That's not entirely accurate.

David Levinson: What, which part?

President Whitmore: I don't understand, where does all this come from? How do you get funding for something like this?

Julius Levinson: You don't actually think they spend $20,000.00 on a hammer, $30,000.00 on a toilet seat, do you?

Captain Jimmy Wilder: Check me out, Stevie. I'm gonna try something.

Captain Steven Hiller: Don't do nothin' stupid over there.

Captain Jimmy Wilder: You know me.

Captain Steven Hiller: That's what I'm talkin' about.

Area 51 Guard: I'm sorry, Captain. This is a restricted area. I can't let you pass without clearance.

Captain Steven Hiller: Okay. Come here. You wanna see my clearance? [shows the officer an alien wrapped up in a parachute, freaking out the guard] Maybe I'll just leave this here with you.

Area 51 Guard: Let them pass! Let them pass!

President Thomas Whitmore: What do you want us to do?

Captured Alien: Die. Die.

Albert Nimzicki: Mr. President, I know you're distressed over the loss of your wife but that isn't an excuse to make another fatal mistake.

President Whitmore: The only mistake I ever made was appointing a sniveling weasel like you as secretary of defense... Mr. Nimzicki, you're fired.

Albert Nimzicki: He can't do that.

Connie Spano: Well, he just, um, did.

David Levinson: You really think you can fly that thing?

Captain Steven Hiller: You really think you can do all that bullshit you just said?

Captain Steven Hiller: Oops.

David Levinson: W-what do you mean, oops?

Captain Steven Hiller: Some jerk put this...

David Levinson: Don't say "oops".

Captain Steven Hiller: What do you say we try that again?

David Levinson: Yes, yes. Yes. Without the "oops". Thataway.

David Levinson: Hey, all right, take a look at the Earthlings. Good-bye!

Captain Steven Hiller: Y'all take care, all right, 'nothing but love for ya. I ain't got nothing by love for ya. You think they have any clue what's about to happen to 'em?

David Levinson: Not a chance in hell. Goodnight!

David Levinson: They're chasing us!

Captain Steven Hiller: Oh, really, YOU THINK?

Captain Steven Hiller: I ain't heard no fat lady!

David Levinson: Forget the fat lady. You're obsessed with fat lady. Drive us out of here!

Albert Nimzicki: I'm not Jewish.

Julius Levinson: Nobody's perfect.

Captain Jimmy Wilder: [Impersonating Rev. Jesse Jackson] Why we are on this particular mission, we'll never know. But I do know, here today, that the Black Knights will emerge victorious once again.

Unknown Pilot: Amen, man.

Captain Steven Hiller: Amen, Reverend.

Taglines

• EARTH Take a good look. It could be your last.

• We've always believed we weren't alone. On July 4th, we'll wish we were.

• The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered.

• WARNING! Your next stop may not be there.

• They only want one thing... DESTRUCTION!

• On July 2nd, they arrive. On July 3rd, they strike. On July 4th, we fight back.

• Today, the human race celebrates their Independence Day.

Cast

• Bill Pullman - President Thomas Whitmore
• Margaret Colin - Connie Spano
• Jeff Goldblum - David Levinson
• Will Smith - Captain Steve Hiller
• Vivica A. Fox - Jasmine Dubrow
• Randy Quaid - Russell Casse
• Judd Hirsch - Julius Levinson

• Harry Connick, Jr. - Jimmy Wilder

External links

• Independence Day quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Independence Day at Rotten Tomatoes
• Review of Independence Day
• Independence Day script
• Independence Day official Fox site