# How would you change the movie "Independence Day" from what it is to a good movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177 "2012-07-04T03:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/61 "2012-07-05T18:09:27Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I remember another scene that just bothered the crap out of me. Its when the now sorta sober fighter pilot (Randy Quaid?) flies his jet into the ship to blow it up. If I recall correctly it looked like it was going into the ship at like a few tens of miles per hours, not hundreds. It just looked WRONG. Well, if we want to apply actual logic to the attacks, we’re starting down a very slippery slope. Why didn’t they drop bombs on the alien ship? They could have dropped 20 times the weight of the explosives carried in the warheads of the AAMs. And where were all the land, air, and ship based cruise missiles? And then, there’s artillery, and MLRS, and Og knows what else might have been thrown at the aliens without risking the pilots and planes. Oh yeah, and how is it that the old Jewish dad knew about the aliens in Area 51 but the President didn’t? Also, how was it that the US, which has a larger air force then most of the rest of the world put together, supposedly had lost 80% of its fighters before the final attack, but somehow there were enough planes left… everywhere? … to knock out all of the remaining invading alien ships. I hesitate bringing these up, because I don’t actually think fixing these irrationalities would have significantly improved the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/62 "2012-07-05T18:21:57Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Oh yeah, and how is it that the old Jewish dad knew about the aliens in Area 51 but the President didn’t? Wait, what? How is that a flaw? The dad was repeating a conspiracy theory that’s been around since the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/63 "2012-07-05T18:27:07Z")
The flaw is, given that there was an ongoing alien invasion by the same aliens who were in Area 51, that the President _didn’t_ know about it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/64 "2012-07-05T18:55:52Z")
A few cast switches would fix everything. 1. Have Harvey Fierstein as the President 2. Have Jeff Goldblum as the stripper 3. Have Randy Quaid as the elderly Jewish Dad ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/65 "2012-07-05T18:58:31Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > A few cast switches would fix everything. > > 1. Have Harvey Fierstein as the President > > 2. Have Jeff Goldblum as the stripper > > 3. Have Randy Quaid as the elderly Jewish Dad I’d make one change to this. Randy would be the alien – drunk and looking for payback. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/66 "2012-07-05T19:23:26Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > In a perfect movie, our hero the hacker would get flown into position by Stevie Wonder. And the uber hacker would be played by, oh, say, Terry Bradshaw. (There is an uber hacker, right? I haven’t seen the movie, but I understand there are computer viruses and guys jacking in with the cybercowboys in neurospace and stuff) ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/67 "2012-07-05T19:39:18Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > A few cast switches would fix everything. > > 1. Have Harvey Fierstein as the President > > 2. Have Jeff Goldblum as the stripper > > 3. Have Randy Quaid as the elderly Jewish Dad To add to that, after the alien fighter crashes, Will Smith walks up to it, opens the hatch, and the alien is… Boomer. Then the Fresh Prince says, “welcome to Earth”, and punches the golden retriever in the head. At least it would mollify all those people who want to see the dog dead. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/68 "2012-07-05T20:21:07Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’d make one change to this. Randy would be the alien – drunk and looking for payback. And have him run into Harvey Fierstein yelling “Hello boys! I’M BAAAAACK!” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/69 "2012-07-05T21:20:06Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Also, how was it that the US, which has a larger air force then most of the rest of the world put together, supposedly had lost 80% of its fighters before the final attack, but somehow there were enough planes left… everywhere? … to knock out all of the remaining invading alien ships. I pretty forgiving of plot holes in popcorn movies. I didn’t mind that they happened to have a bunch of planes left. I couldn’t get over how many civilian jet pilots there were in a small sample of refugees. And that they were able to learn how to fly F/A-18s so quickly. I guess modern fighters aren’t that complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/70 "2012-07-05T21:21:30Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > And have him run into Harvey Fierstein yelling “Hello boys! I’M BAAAAACK!” God, I hate it when Quaid’s character says that. Really wrecks what was kind of a moving moment. If he had delivered it with a determined or vengeful air, he could have sold me on it, but he went for cutesy instead, and it doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/71 "2012-07-05T21:22:17Z")
Yup, pretty much the same as driving a Winnebago armed with missiles. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/72 "2012-07-05T21:37:51Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Yup, pretty much the same as driving a Winnebago armed with missiles. A heavily armed recreational-vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/73 "2012-07-05T21:44:40Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Yes, but they should have nuked Houston right off the bat, preferably before anyone even knew about the aliens. _That_ would make a more interesting film! What do you have against _me_? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/74 "2012-07-05T22:27:26Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > To add to that, after the alien fighter crashes, Will Smith walks up to it, opens the hatch, and the alien is… Boomer. Then the Fresh Prince says, “welcome to Earth”, and punches the golden retriever in the head. OK, for some reason, I completely forgot that Boomer was the name of the dog, and I just pictured Will Smith slugging Grace Park in the face. Which was an oddly amusing mental image. "I’M NOT A CYLO-"_SLUG_ _Thud_ “Welcome to Earth.” ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/75 "2012-07-05T22:32:06Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > A heavily armed recreational-vehicle? That’s it! Oh my God, that is it! It needed Bill Murray! I’m kind of biased, though. I think every movie would be better with Bill Murray. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/76 "2012-07-05T22:59:38Z")
Re-insert the deleted scene where Boomer actually dies later when the aliens unleash[their secret weapon.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=xcT-6Tek49A) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/77 "2012-07-05T23:54:54Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > What do you have against _me_? There will be a little colateral damage. Have to break a few eggs… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/78 "2012-07-05T23:57:27Z")
Well said. ---
**Author:** ![Rhaegar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/51bf81/32.png) [@Rhaegar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhaegar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/79 "2012-07-06T00:54:52Z")
Independence Day was an awesome movie. Other than replacing Data as the mad sscientist, what more could you want? But to each his own I guess. I couldn’t stand ET or Close Encounters and some people probably thought that they were the greatest movies ever. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/80 "2012-07-06T01:32:40Z")
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