Independence Day
I recently got into a discussion with a fellow writer about stories with multiple layers, subplots, etc. One of the movies we discussed was Independence Day. It
had been a while since I'd seen the movie, so I could only make general
observations. I couldn't even remember the characters' names - just the
actors'. After the discussion, I decided to watch the movie again and
do a mind/body/spirit analysis. One of the things I realized in
re-watching the movie was how wrong I had been about the main plot -
specifically, the "main character."
Cinematically, the main character is Capt. Steve Hiller, played by Will Smith. He has all the great lines, is involved in all the action, and has a dominating presence on the screen. The main character of the story, however, is not Capt Steve Hiller. The story is really about David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum.
David Levinson is a part of every major plot point and is the character who undergoes the greatest transformation. All the subplots work advance his story. Will Smith may have been the cinematic headliner, but Jeff Goldblum played the main character in the story.
David is introduced playing chess in the park with his father. David takes his time and contemplates every move, much to his father's consternation, and ultimately wins the game.
When the alien invasion begins, David discovers the signal they are broadcasting is a countdown and is the first to deduce they are not friendly. He ultimately uses his technical skills to track down his ex-wife, who is an adviser to the President of the US. He convinces the President the aliens are not friendly and accompanies him and his staff as they evacuate, barely escaping the destruction.
When the President and his staff take refuge at Area 51, David begins working with the top scientists to find a way to defeat the alien invaders. He ultimately comes up with the idea of putting a virus into the alien's spaceship's computers, which leads to their defeat.
Russell Case comes on the scene drunk. He is a crop-duster who is so drunk he has just finished dusting the wrong field. His "claim to fame" is that he has been abducted by aliens in the past. He claims they performed experiments on him.
Russell is part of an RV caravan escaping the alien's attacks through the desert. As the RV group starts moving out. he has to ask his son whether they should move out as well.
When Hiller is dragging an alien body through the desert, Russell is the one who stops and offers him a ride. In the end, Russell pilots a fighter and makes the final strike to take down the attacking alien ship.
At first, Hiller is not concerned with the alien phenomenon. He thinks it's an earthquake and laughs at the neighbor's reactions to something he views as so trivial. When he finds out what's going on, though, things change. His sense of duty kicks in, even though his girlfriend is worried.
Hiller wants to be an astronaut, but he also wants to marry his girlfriend, who is a stripper. His best friend tells him, "You're never going to get to fly the space shuttle if you marry a stripper." Hiller is torn, but won't give up the love of his life, even if it means giving up his dreams.
When he survives the first alien attack, his priorities change. Everything is about his girlfriend. He even steals a helicopter to return to his base, which was destroyed by the aliens, to find out if she is alright. He finds her and takes her back to Area 51 and marries her before going on the mission to plant David's virus in the alien's mothership.
In preparing for that mission, he pauses and then starts a frantic search for cigars. When he gets a pair of cigars from David's father, he says, "Almost put a hex on the whole damn thing."
Cinematically, the main character is Capt. Steve Hiller, played by Will Smith. He has all the great lines, is involved in all the action, and has a dominating presence on the screen. The main character of the story, however, is not Capt Steve Hiller. The story is really about David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum.
David Levinson is a part of every major plot point and is the character who undergoes the greatest transformation. All the subplots work advance his story. Will Smith may have been the cinematic headliner, but Jeff Goldblum played the main character in the story.
The Mind Character: David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum)
David is introduced playing chess in the park with his father. David takes his time and contemplates every move, much to his father's consternation, and ultimately wins the game.
When the alien invasion begins, David discovers the signal they are broadcasting is a countdown and is the first to deduce they are not friendly. He ultimately uses his technical skills to track down his ex-wife, who is an adviser to the President of the US. He convinces the President the aliens are not friendly and accompanies him and his staff as they evacuate, barely escaping the destruction.
When the President and his staff take refuge at Area 51, David begins working with the top scientists to find a way to defeat the alien invaders. He ultimately comes up with the idea of putting a virus into the alien's spaceship's computers, which leads to their defeat.
The Body Character: Russell Case (Randy Quaid)
Russell Case comes on the scene drunk. He is a crop-duster who is so drunk he has just finished dusting the wrong field. His "claim to fame" is that he has been abducted by aliens in the past. He claims they performed experiments on him.
Russell is part of an RV caravan escaping the alien's attacks through the desert. As the RV group starts moving out. he has to ask his son whether they should move out as well.
When Hiller is dragging an alien body through the desert, Russell is the one who stops and offers him a ride. In the end, Russell pilots a fighter and makes the final strike to take down the attacking alien ship.
The Spirit Character: Capt Steven Hiller (Will Smith)
At first, Hiller is not concerned with the alien phenomenon. He thinks it's an earthquake and laughs at the neighbor's reactions to something he views as so trivial. When he finds out what's going on, though, things change. His sense of duty kicks in, even though his girlfriend is worried.
Hiller wants to be an astronaut, but he also wants to marry his girlfriend, who is a stripper. His best friend tells him, "You're never going to get to fly the space shuttle if you marry a stripper." Hiller is torn, but won't give up the love of his life, even if it means giving up his dreams.
When he survives the first alien attack, his priorities change. Everything is about his girlfriend. He even steals a helicopter to return to his base, which was destroyed by the aliens, to find out if she is alright. He finds her and takes her back to Area 51 and marries her before going on the mission to plant David's virus in the alien's mothership.
In preparing for that mission, he pauses and then starts a frantic search for cigars. When he gets a pair of cigars from David's father, he says, "Almost put a hex on the whole damn thing."
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