Roland Emmerich's 1996 movie Independence Day is a truly iconic movie and is arguably one of the best sci-fi movies from the '90s. That film (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) is regularly re-watched to this day, particularly during the Fourth of July season. I recently did just that over the Holiday Weekend, and was shocked when my Gen Z sister-in-law was not only not a fan... but actively made fun of the movie throughout our watch.
Independence Day just turned 30, and remains a vital part of the pop culture landscape despite how many years have passed. So when it rained one morning during the Fourth of July weekend at a friend's lake house, I made the suggestion that we put on the beloved blockbuster. And while the millennials and Gen X-ers in the room loved re-watching that acclaimed movie, my Zoomer sister-in-law did not have the same reaction.
I Was Shocked My Sister-In-Law Made Fun Of Independence Day
While I unironically decided to re-watch Independence Day, my sister-in-law started poking fun at it pretty immediately. She picked apart some of the movie's logic, such as the way Vivica A. Fox's Jasmine was able to save herself (and her son and dog) by hiding in a tunnel inspection alcove as Los Angeles was destroyed. She also laughed at how many cars were shown flying through the air as a result of the UFO's destructive beams.
I got defensive when she started making fun of Bill Pullman's performance as President Thomas J. Whitmore. He's typically a fan favorite character, with Whitmore's titular speech being one of the most iconic moments in the entire movie. But she thought he kept mogging throughout his scenes, whether or not he was actually the focus. It's not the actor's fault that he was so handsome during the movie! I mean, I could say the same for Jeff Goldblum, who looks truly incredible as David Levinson.
While I could understand some of my sister-in-law's points, I also found myself defending Emmerich's movie throughout the re-watch on Hulu. The title was universally acclaimed upon its release, and I maintain that it holds up well all these years later. What's more, BTS information about Independence Day is still trickling out to this day.
Now if she wanted to poke holes in the sequel Resurgence, that would have been a different story entirely. The long-awaited Independence Day sequel's reviews were poor upon its release, mostly because it failed to reach the same level as its predecessor. Although clearly the 1996 original isn't for everyone. Regardless, I can't stop, won't stop defending its quality.
Both Independence Day and Resurgence are streaming now on Hulu. We'll just have to wait and see if more Zoomers feel similarly when it's annually rewatched next year.
