INDEPENDENCE DAY

DAVID
Nice driving, pops!

Dangerously close to a heart attack, Moishe is, for once, at a
loss for words.  Over their adrenaline pumped faces...

MALE VOICE (V.O.)
...put your hands together for
Sabrina!

CUT TO:

INT. STRIP CLUB - LOS ANGELES - NIGHT

A bikini-clad Sabrina twirls gracefully on the stage.  As she
comes to a stop we reveal Sabrina is actually Jasmine.  She
looks out into the audience and her expression DROPS.

REVERSE ANGLE - JASMINE'S POV - EMPTY CLUB

Five strippers and eight customers.  All crowded near the
television watching the news.

ANGLE T.V. - ROOFTOP - LOS ANGELES

Helicopter footage of people gathered on the rooftops of
downtown Los Angeles holding up drawings of space aliens.

NEWSCASTERS
(filtered)
...from the "it could only happen
in California" file, hundreds of
UFO fanatics have gathered on the
rooftops of downtown Los Angeles,
welcoming the new arrivals...

INT. DRESSING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Jasmine storms into the dressing room.  Wiping off her makeup,
she sits down next to TIFFANY who watches the same report on a
small b&w.

JASMINE
I can't believe I even came in
tonight.  What was I thinking?

TIFFANY
(re: T.V.)
Isn't this cool?  And you thought
I was nuts.  Oh, look, I brought
mine with me.

Tiffany holds up a drawing of a space alien.

JASMINE
You're not thinking of joining
those idiots?

TIFFANY
I'm going over there soon as I'm
off.  Wanna come?

Jasmine turns to Tiffany, dead serious.

JASMINE
Tiffany, I don't want you to go up
there.  Promise me you won't.
(Tiffany pouts)
Promise!

TIFFANY
I promise.

JASMINE
Okay.  I'm gone.  I'm outta town
for a while.

Her boss MARIO enters and walks over to his private office in
back.  He opens the door and finds Dylan playing with his dog,
Boomer.

MARIO
What the hell's your kid doing
here?

Jasmine rushes past picking up Dylan and carrying him away as
she heads for the exit.  Boomer follows.

JASMINE
You try to find a sitter today.

MARIO
Where do you think you're going?
You leave, you're fired.

JASMINE
(out the door)
Nice working with you, Mario.

CUT TO:

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - NIGHT

The streets are nearly deserted.  Millions of small lights on
the underbelly of the craft cast strange reflections on the
streets below.  The Olds drives on its way towards the Capitol
building.

INT. OLDS - CONTINUOUS

David types frustratedly on his laptop.

MOISHE
Not listed, huh?

DAVID
I just haven't found it yet.  I
tried C. Halbrook, Connie
Halbrook, Spunky Halbrook...

MOISHE
Spunky?

DAVID
College nickname.

MOISHE
You try Martin?

DAVID
She didn't take my name when we
were married.

Moishe shrugs.  David gives it a shot.  Finds it.  The machine
BEEPS.

MOISHE
(sarcastic)
So what do I know?

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM - EL TORO MARINE CORPS STATION - NIGHT

A crowded locker room.  Steve enters.
 
MALE VOICE (O.S.)
Where the hell've you been?

STEVE
Ah, were you guys waiting for me?

Several Marines throws towels at Steve as he makes his way to
his locker.  His best friend, JIMMY, sits next to him.

JIMMY
Can you believe it?  This is
serious shit, Stevie.  They've
recalled everyone!

As Steve sits he SEES some envelops stuck into the side of his
locker.

STEVE
Well, the mail's still working.

He flips through the envelops and FREEZES when he sees one
with the NASA insignia on it.  Jimmy snatches it away from
him.

JIMMY
Junk mail.  You don't want this.

Steve quickly snatches it back, right it open and reads.  From
the disappointment on his face we can tell it's bad news.
Realizing, Jimmy puts a hand on Steve's shoulder.

JIMMY
I don't believe it.  They make you
learn how to fly everything from
an Apache to a Harrier and still
they turn you down?  What else do
they want you to learn?

STEVE
How to kiss ass.

Steve crumples at the letter and tosses it.  Angrily he opens his
locker.  Pasted on the locker door we see photos of Jasmine
next to the photos of the space shuttle, Apollo Missions, and a
NASA insignia bumper sticker.

As Steve stuffs his jacket into the locker, something falls
out.  Before Steve can grab it, Jimmy snatches it up first.

JIMMY
(embarrassed)
Jasmine has this thing for
dolphins.  I had them make it...

STEVE
I thought you said you were doing
to break it off.

Steve snatches it back, embarrassed.

JIMMY (cont'd)
Steve, listen to me, you're never
gonna get to fly the space shuttle
if you marry a stripper.

Steve knows he's right.  He's torn.

CUT TO:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

The Olds stops near the White House.  From here we can SEE
tanks and armed patrols.  A small group of protesters have
gathered, upset about the military hardware.  Signs: "Don't
provoke" "Violence begets Violence."

INT. ODS - CONTINUOUS

David adjusts a small portable satellite, connecting it to his
phon and laptop computer.

MOISHE
So, you want to ring the bell or
should I?

David flips open the phone, dials the number on the screen.

DAVID
Perfect, she's using it.

MOISHE
It's perfect the line is busy?

DAVID
Yes.  I can use he signal to
triangulate her exact position in
the White House.

MOISHE
You can do that?

Shooting his father a look.

DAVID
(sarcastic)
All cable repairmen can.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Constance is just finishing a call on her cellular phone.

CONSTANCE
...Sally, take my cat with when
you leave.  No I'm staying here at
the White House.  Take care.

The moment she hangs up, it RINGS.  Surprised, she answers.

CONSTANCE
What?

DAVID
(filtered)
Connie, don't hang up.

CONSTANCE
David?  How'd you get this number?

DAVID
Walk to the window.  Right in
front of you.

Constance looks up to the large glass windows.  She walks over
to it, looking out.

CONSTANCE
What am I looking for?

CONSTANCE'S POV - STREET - OLDS - DAVID

Between two of the tanks outside, Constance can SEE David
standing on top of the Olds across the street.  Moishe steps
out, waves.  Constance is stunned.

CONSTANCE
(to herself)
How does he do that?

CUT TO:

INT. BRENNON TRAILER - NIGHT

Sulking, Alicia sits in back with he walkman on.  Troy sleeps
while Miguel drives.  Suddenly Miguel his the brakes, as
something comes SAILING DOWN FROM THE SKY.

We realize it's the B-WING PLANE landing on the stretch of
roadway directly in front of them.

EXT. ROADWAY - CONTINUOUS

The plane lands, skids into a turn.  Russell jumps out, walks
over to the trailer.  We can tell he's drunk again.

MIGUEL
They let you out?

RUSSELL
Just what the hell do you think
you're doing?

Miguel moves to meet Russell away from the trailer, not
wanting the others to hear.

MIGUEL
We're leaving, don't try and stop
us.

RUSSELL
You're not going anywhere.  You
hear me?  I'm still your father.

Miguel explodes, this has been building up for some time.

MIGUEL
No, you're not!  You're just the man
who married my mother.  You're
nothing to me!

Russell is momentarily silent, stunned.  Recovering...

RUSSELL
Troy's still my son no matter how
you feel about me.

MIGUEL
For once in your life think about
what's best for Troy.  Who has to
beg for money to buy him medicine
when you screw up?  Who?

Suddenly we hear glass CRASHING.  Both men spin to find Troy
standing behind them.

TROY
Stop it!  I'm not a baby!  I don't
need your stupid medicine.  I
don't need anyone to take care of
me!

Miguel leans down to see the broken MEDICINE BOTTLE on the
floor.  Miguel rushes over to him, furious.

MIGUEL
You know what this stuff costs?
Do you want to get sick again!?
Do you!?

Frustrated, Miguel shoves Troy aside and heads back into the
trailer.  Wobbly from the drinking, Russell stands there
pathetically, watching.

EXT. ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE - NIGHT

A large group of press rush over toward FOUR APACHE
HELICOPTERS, each refitted with a large LIGHT BOARDS, as they
slowly lift off the ground.  Cameras flash, reporters yell
questions to the Officers assigned to keep them at bay.

Several news organizations do stand up remotes.  We TRACK past
them to the CNN crew.

CNN REPORTER
What you see behind me are four
Apache helicopters...

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - WHITE HOUSE - SAME

On the television plays the CNN broadcast.  The reception is
intermittently disrupted.

CNN REPORTER
(filtered through T.V.)
...each has been refitted with
what Pentagon officially hope will
be our first step in communicating
with the alien craft...

We WIDEN to reveal a large contingent of military personnel
along with the President's chief advisors gathered around
several monitors, (the center monitors are momentarily blank).

Suddenly everyone snaps to attention as the President enters.

PRESIDENT
Where are we?

GENERAL GRAY
They're in the air.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR - SAME

Moishe inspects a photo of Constance with the President,
impressed he nods with approval.

MOISHE
(to himself)
Very nice.

Constance is looking at David's laptop displaying the
breakdown of the alien signal.

CONSTANCE
And when is the countdown supposed
to expire?

DAVID
(checking)
Fifty six minutes, forty five
seconds.

Constance runs her fingers through her hair, exasperated.
Moishe turns, listens.

CONSTANCE
What do you want me to do?

DAVID
I want you to leave with us.
Right now.

CONSTANCE
I can't leave.  We have to tell
this to the President.

DAVID
He's not going to listen to me.

Surprised at his son, Moishe steps forward.

MOISHE
Sure he'll listen.  Why wouldn't
he?

DAVID
Because last time I saw him I
punched him in the face.

MOISHE
You punched the President in the
face?

DAVID
He wasn't the President then.

CONSTANCE
David thought I was having an
affair, which I wasn't.

MOISHE
Punched the President?  Oh my god.

APACHE HELICOPTERS

ZOOM by overhead.  In the distance we see they are headed for
the enormous alien craft.

INT. HELICOPTER - PILOT - CONTINUOUS

The PILOT adjusts his radio.

PILOT