FAQ for
Independence Day (1996) More at IMDbPro »

The most straightforward answer is resources. While it would seem more logical to avoid causing mass destruction & fallout across the Earth, the aliens assume that it's better to extinguish as much life on Earth as possible, decimating cities worldwide to put the Human Race in disarray & unable to launch an effective counterattack. The resources the aliens yearn to plunder would primarily be fuel sources such as nuclear material. Seeing as the aliens have no regard for human life whatsoever, it would seem unfathomable to predict why they would travel light years across the universe to destroy life rather than research it.

A clue to their behavior may lie in comparing how humans themselves treat their surroundings in order to survive. The aliens may have consumed everything available on their planet, they now wander the universe for survival rather than curiosity.

There's actually a line in the film where President Whitmore explains what the aliens are doing after his telepathy attack. He says that the aliens are like locusts, moving their whole civilization to a planet until every resource is consumed & then they move on to another planet.

Considering President Whitmore's "revelation" (the aliens' whole civilization moving from planet to planet consuming all their resources), the aliens could have been fleeing from their planet due to a dying star. Their mothership was certainly big enough to have carried a whole civilization & could have been seeking out another planet similar to their own or gathering the resources to start elsewhere.

One of the many plot holes. He fired his Secretary of Defense, and there were no other Cabinet members accompanying him. The VP, Speaker of the House and all other Cabinet members were in NORAD, which the aliens destroyed.

He could have appointed General Grey as acting SecDef, but he would have had to resign his military rank (only civilians can hold an office that is in line for Presidential succession). General Grey is still in uniform when they are up in the air.

But in case Whitmore would have been killed, the law indeed specifies that he be succeeded by the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, or a Cabinet member. There are probably no clear regulations nor precedents in case all these persons are unavailable. The remaining authorities would probably have to declare some State of Emergency or Martial Law, which would give local authorities (state governors etc.), the military and institutions such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) temporary power to form small (local) governments. In the meanwhile, a national government would have to be assembled, elections arranged, etc. In short, the remaining authorities would have a field day determining the legitimate body in charge, so executive power is most likely shared among several persons and agencies.

A sequel has been talked about ever since the film was first released which involved the arrival of more alien craft in a second wave of attack. No announcements were ever made though it was tentatively titled "ID4-Ever".

When asked at a UK convention in 2008 if there would be a sequel, Brent Spiner (Dr. Okun) said "no". He added that when there were plans to make a sequel the film would begin with a close-up shot of a hammer striking a nail and that the camera would pull back to reveal the White House being re-built. He also revealed that his character, Dr Okun, would be found laying in hospital, alive, but still possessed by an alien which would go on to cause destruction and bring about a second alien invasion.

However, Dean Devlin has said in the past that an Independance Day sequel was in the works and that he and Roland Emmerich were working to bring back the rest of the cast to reunite. They had trouble in writing the sequel, and plans have been put on hold for the time being. However, with lots of hit sequels in the works, and with 20th Century Fox desperate for a hit, there is a very real possibility of that happening in the future.

UPDATE (Oct 2008): According to aintitcoolnews a sequel has been in talks at Fox with director Roland Emmerich back at the helm again with Dean Devlin producing. Emmerich now has what he thinks is a great script. Fox, however want the film made without Will Smith as it would otherwise mean him taking a gross point salary which could seriously hurt the film's profit. Emmerich has said he wouldn't make the film without him. Smith has yet to comment if he's even interested in returning to the role. Emmerich has also expressed a possibilty of their being two more sequels.

Dr. Okun was last seen laying motionless on the floor with Major Mitchell (Adam Baldwin) checking his pulse. According to Brent Spiner (when asked at a UK convention in 2008); when Major Mitchell checks Okun's pulse the line, "He's dead, sir" was filmed but then cut out of the movie. This was done in anticipation of a sequel where they could bring Dr Okun back and he would still be possessed by the alien which would spark off another invasion.

However, just because the line was cut from the film doesn't mean he is alive. Generally if you check someone's pulse and they're alive, you would get them medical attention. Considering nothing is said and nothing was done, he was dead.

Considering President Whitmore's "revelation" (the aliens' whole civilization moving from planet to planet consuming all their resources), the aliens could have been fleeing from their planet due to a dying star. Their mothership was certainly big enough to have carried a whole civilization and could have been seeking out another planet similar to their own or gathering the resources to start elsewhere.

***this may contain SPOILERS***

An unofficial set of chapter headings, mostly based on the dvd times: * 01 = 00:00:00.000 - Independence Day (1996) - * 02 = 00:00:43.000 - 1-1 July 2, SETI New Mexico - * 03 = 00:04:49.000 - 1-2 the president, USA - * 04 = 00:06:48.000 - 1-3 a satellite falls to the mother ship - * 05 = 00:07:17.000 - 1-4 the science correspondent, David Levinson - * 06 = 00:08:32.000 - 1-5 the news office, Washington - * 07 = 00:09:38.000 - 1-6 the Casse family, Imperial Valley, Ca, USA - * 08 = 00:11:11.000 - 2-1 the big disks break away from the mother ship - * 09 = 00:12:58.000 - 2-2 entering the atmosphere - * 10 = 00:16:49.000 - 2-3 the signal with the arriving disks - * 11 = 00:23:09.000 - 2-4 Captain Steven Hiller plus Jasmin and Dylan - * 12 = 00:24:55.000 - 2-5 countdown to checkmate - * 13 = 00:27:36.000 - 2-6 Hiller returns to his unit - * 14 = 00:29:38.000 - 2-7 a car to the White House - * 15 = 00:31:28.000 - 2-8 Mr Casse in the county lock-up - * 16 = 00:32:54.000 - 3-1 the airbase - * 17 = 00:34:27.000 - 3-2 Jasmine and the reaction at the strip club - * 18 = 00:35:33.000 - 3-3 the Levinsons en route - * 19 = 00:35:56.000 - 3-4 news bulletin - * 20 = 00:36:01.000 - 3-5 at the White House gate, welcome wagon is go - * 21 = 00:38:37.000 - 3-6 an interview with the chief - * 22 = 00:39:58.000 - 3-7 welcome wagon is rebuffed, evacuation - * 23 = 00:42:37.000 - 3-8 opening of the bay - * 24 = 00:44:26.000 - 3-9 time's up - * 25 = 00:48:00.000 - 4-1 July 3 - * 26 = 00:50:50.000 - 4-2 the airbase, briefing - * 27 = 00:51:31.000 - 4-3 airstrike - * 28 = 00:56:24.000 - 4-4 the counter attack - * 29 = 00:57:40.000 - 4-5 single combat in the air - * 30 = 00:59:04.000 - 4-6 and on land - * 31 = 00:59:57.000 - 4-7 civilians on the move - * 32 = 01:00:40.000 - 4-8 Airforce One considers area 51 - * 33 = 01:03:35.000 - 5-1 discovering the first lady - * 34 = 01:04:34.000 - 5-2 Captain Hiller and his prisoner - * 35 = 01:05:59.000 - 5-3 Airforce One at Area 51 - * 36 = 01:09:58.000 - 5-4 three aliens in the vault and another with Hiller - * 37 = 01:12:41.000 - 5-5 the situation and a command room - * 38 = 01:14:42.000 - 5-6 Jasmine arrives at El Toro - * 39 = 01:16:27.000 - 5-7 what a single alien can do - * 40 = 01:23:44.000 - 5-8 nuclear attack - * 41 = 01:27:03.000 - 5-9 Hiller reunited - * 42 = 01:28:04.000 - 5-a the president reunited - * 43 = 01:30:54.000 - 6-1 July 4, the defences have a weakness - * 44 = 01:37:18.000 - 6-2 a gathering of forces via morse - * 45 = 01:41:00.000 - 6-3 an exchange of vows before witnesses - * 46 = 01:42:32.000 - 6-4 the address on the morning of battle - * 47 = 01:46:58.000 - 6-5 Hiller and Levinson head on out - * 48 = 01:51:12.000 - 6-6 at the aliens' mother ship - * 49 = 01:54:41.000 - 6-7 delivery complete, engage - * 50 = 01:57:43.000 - 6-8 and a time for a prayer - * 51 = 01:58:04.000 - 6-9 Mr Casse's attack on the primary weapon - * 52 = 02:03:19.000 - 6-a a return to Earth - * 53 = 02:07:04.000 - 6-b a meeting in the desert - * 54 = 02:10:29.000 - end credits - * 55 = 02:18:51.000 - end -

.000 is a placeholder for the exact time.

These are best viewed edited so as to show one chapter per line, if using this for search. There is a copy showing this in the Message board, which is only accessible when logged in. That also includes an OGG version.

The OGG version is for if there are players that can work from an external OGG chapters file.