INDEPENDENCE DAY

INT. COMPACT CABLE OFFICES - SAME

DAVID
You don't understand.  You have to
leave Washington.

INT. SIDE OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE - DAY

Impatient, Constance tries to get off the phone.

CONSTANCE
In case you haven't noticed, we're
in a little bit of a crisis here.

DAVID
(filtered)
I've worked with embedded loading.
They're communicating with a
hidden signal.  They're going to
attack...

CONSTANCE
You're being paranoid.

DAVID
(filtered)
It's not paranoia.  The embedding
is very subtle.  It's probably
been overlooked...

Constance hangs up.  Her face betrays mixed emotions.

INT. COMPACT CABLE OFFICES - SAME

David stares at the phone, pissed.  Something on T.V.
catches his attention.  Through the snowy image he SEES...

PRESIDENT WHITMORE
(filtered)
...My staff and I are remaining
here at the White House while we
attempt to establish
communication...

Hanging up the phone, David sprints for the exit.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE (cont'd)
...so remain calm.  If you are
compelled to leave these cities,
please do so in a safe and orderly
fashion.

SMASH CUT TO:

CABS SLAMMING TOGETHER - NEW YORK CITY STREETS

The rush to get away creeps slowly as cars jam the streets in
total grid-lock.  David pedals his bike furiously through
traffic.

EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - NEW YORK - DAY

The mass exodus has reached the bridge.  Total congestion.
David fights his way through.

EXT. CLIFFSIDE, NEW JERSEY - LATER

The New York skyline behind him across the Hudson, David jumps
off his bike, and races towards a row of tract houses.

EXT. MOISHE'S TRACT HOUSE - SECONDS LATER

David BANGS on the door.  It flies open.  Moishe is holding a
hunting rifle, pointing it at David.

DAVID
Pops!

MOISHE
The television said they've
started with the looting already
Vultures.

DAVID
You still got the Olds?

MOISHE
You want to borrow the car?  You
don't have a license.

DAVID
That's okay.  You're driving.

CUT TO:

INT. JASMINE'S HOUSE - DAY

Steve, wearing his Marine flight officer uniform, shoves the
last of his things into his duffel bag.  We notice there are
small figurines of dolphins everywhere.  Jasmine hovers
nervously behind him.

JASMINE
You can't go.  Call them back.

STEVE
Baby, you know how it is.  I have
to report to El Toro right away.

JASMINE
You said you were on leave for the
Fourth.

STEVE
They cancelled it.  Why are you
acting like this?

Jasmine grabs the blinds and yanks them away.  We SEE the
alien craft through the window.

JASMINE
Why?  That's why.  That thing
scares the piss out of me.

EXT. DEBROW HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Dylan sits behind the wheel pretending to drive.  Steve grabs
him, pulling him out.  He reaches into his duffel, grabs a small
brown paper bag.

STEVE
Here.  I got these for you.  Be
careful with them.

Dylan opens the bag; fireworks.  Jasmine walks over.

DYLAN
Cool.

Steve tosses his gear into the back, opens his door.

JASMINE
Wait.  I have to tell you
something.

STEVE
What?

JASMINE
(loses her nerve)
Be careful.

STEVE
Look, after your shift tonight,
why don't you grab Dylan and come
stay with me on base.

JASMINE
Really?  You don't mind?

STEVE
(smiling)
Naw.  I'll just tell my other
girlfriends they can't come over
tonight.

Pissed, she hits him.  He loves it.

JASMINE
You know, you're not as charming
as you think you are.

STEVE
Yes, I am.

JASMINE
Dick-weed!

STEVE
Butt-munch.

They kiss.  Steve hops into his car and peels out.  Jasmine
takes the bag from Dylan.

JASMINE
I'll take these.

DYLAN
Mommmmmm...

CUT TO:

EXT. JERSEY - HIGHWAY - LATER THAT DAY

A perfectly preserved '68 Olds drives cautiously down the
highway.  Around him we see other cars packed to the gills as
they make their escape from New York.

INT. OLDS - SAME

Not the most confident driver, Moishe holds the steering wheel
close to his chest.

MOISHE
It's the White House, for crying
out loud.  You can't just drive up
and ring the bell.

DAVID
Can't this thing go any faster?

MOISHE
You think they don't know what you
know?  Believe me, they know.  She
works for the President.  They
know everything.

DAVID
They don't know this.

MOISHE
And you're going to educate them?
Tell me something, you're so smart
how come you spent eight years at
M.I.T. to become a cable
repairman?

DAVID
Dad...

MOISHE
All I'm saying is they've got
people who handle these things,
David.  They want HBO, they'll
call you.

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL LOUNGE, LOS ANGELES - LATE AFTERNOON

Mrs. Whitmore is at a house phone.  Behind her we see several
news crews waiting for interviews.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE
(filtered through phone)
I want you out of there.

MARGARET
You're staying there to keep
people calm.  It's the right thing
to do.  I'm not going to let them
criticize you for it.

INT. WHITMORE BEDROOM - WHITE HOUSE - SAME

The President sits on his bed, his daughter lays next to him,
watching T.V.  The signal distortion is getting worse.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE
Okay, fine but the second your
interviews are done, I have a
helicopter ready to take you to
Nellis Air Force...

MARGARET
(filtered)
How's the munchkin?

PRESIDENT WHITMORE
She's glued to the T.V., just like
the rest of the world.  I love you
too.  Here she is...

He hands Patty the phone as General Grey and Nimziki appear in
the doorway.  The President walks over to them.

GENERAL GREY
More ships keep arriving, fifteen
in total so far.

NIMZIKI
This is crazy.  We're loosing our
first strike capabilities!

GENERAL GREY
We're trying to communicate with
them on all frequencies but we're
getting nowhere.  Atlantic Command
is working on a type of visual
communication.

PRESIDENT WHITMORE
What the hell are they up to?

CUT TO:

EXT. TRAILER PARK - NIGHT

A long crowded highway of people trying to escape from Los
Angeles can be seen in the distance.  The huge space craft
hovering behind them.

Miguel is on the roof of the trailer, adjusting the T.V.
antenna trying to get a picture.  Suddenly the image clears
and we SEE a group of people in a crowded hallway.

REPORTER
(filtered)
...a local crop duster was
arrested today attempting to land
at Edwards Air Force Base...

On the T.V. we SEE Russell being escorted to a police car.
Mortified, Miguel can't believe what he's seeing.

RUSSELL
They've got to do something.
I was abducted by space aliens ten
years ago.  They did all kinds of
experiments on me.  They've been
studying us for years, learning
our weakness.  We've go to do
something before they kill us all!

TROY (O.S.)

Just as Troy starts to climb up, Miguel changes the channel to
Mrs. Whitmore.  Troy sits down next to Miguel.

MRS. WHITMORE
(filtered)
...we need to remain calm.  As
more people decide to leave the
cities, safety is key...

MIGUEL
Troy, you remember Uncle Hector,
from Tucson?

TROY
He's got that SEGA Saturn CD, 64
bit, right?

MIGUEL
Yeah.  What would you think if we
went there to live for a while?

TROY
That'd be cool!

Miguel thinks for a second, makes a decision.

MIGUEL
Pack up, we're going.

Miguel jumps down from the roof.  Troy climbs down the ladder.

TROY
(yelling after him)
What about Dad?

ALICIA AND OLDER BOY

Kissing.  It's getting hot.  Alicia laughs, pushes him away.

OLDER BOY
This could be our last night on
Earth.  You don't want to die a
virgin, do you?

ALICIA
What makes you think I'm a virgin?

The Older Boy is taken off guard.  Before he can answer the
tarp they were hiding under is ripped away.  Miguel stands
there.

MIGUEL
Come on, we're going.

ALICIA
I'm not going anywhere...

Miguel grabs her by the wrist and pulls her away.

EXT. FREEWAY - OUTSIDE WASHINGTON - NIGHT

We see the long highway leading to Washington, the space ship
hovering above it.  One side of the freeway is packed solid,
the other completely empty, save for one car...

INT. MOISHE'S OLDS - NIGHT

Moishe looks to the other side of the freeway, jam packed.  On
his side, they are the only car for miles.

MOISHE
The whole world is trying to get
out of Washington and we're the
only schmucks trying to get in.

As Moishe drives, David distracts him as he unpacks his
backpack unloading his laptop.  He grabs a CD.

MOISHE (cont'd)
What the hell is that?

DAVID
This, pops, is every phone book in
America.

MOISHE
You think an important person like
Constance is going to be listed?

DAVID
She always keeps her portable
phone listed, for emergencies.
Sometimes it's just her first
initial, sometime her nickname...

David starts to look it up.  Suddenly...

DOZENS OF CARS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THEM

In the attempt to get out, hundreds of cars have been re-
directed by the military to use the opposite side of the
highway.

MOISHE
Oh my God!

Moishe SWERVES violently to avoid collision, barely missing
the oncoming traffic.  Dodging right to left, Moishe hangs on
for dear life.

A Military Office, assisting in diverting the cars turns just
in time to see the Olds whiz by.

David and Moishe are bounded around the inside of the car as
Moishe tries to veer through traffic.

Suddenly A TRUCK  blocks off their only escape route.

Moishe turns HARD and drives up onto the right shoulder.

OVERHEAD ANGLE - OLDS AND TRAFFIC

The Olds is the only car in headed that direction.  Using the
shoulder, swerving to miss barricades, they drives off an exit
ramp.