Independence Day Page #11

WIDE ANGLES - WASHINGTON, D.C.

We SEE the WAVE OF DESTRUCTION growing outwardly from the

epicenter, ENGULFING ALL OF WASHINGTON.

Air Force One is just barely making it out in time.

EXT. PASADENA FREEWAY - SAME

Jasmine's car is caught in traffic just outside the tunneled

underpass at the Griffith Park Mountains.

RADIO NEWSMAN:

(filtered)

...My God. It's destroying

everything in its path.

Widening...

Suddenly the radio CUTS OUT. Jasmine turns around and SEES...

JASMINE'S POV - FREEWAY & DOWNTOWN

Far off the devastation of downtown can be seen. The WALL OF

DESTRUCTION growing towards us.

Reacting, Jasmine grabs Dylan and dashes out of the car.

Boomer follows. Every drivers who can, jumps out of their

cars, running in all directions.

Jasmine heads for the tunnel.

ANGLE - FREEWAY

The grid-locked cars have nowhere to run as the WALL OF

DESTRUCTION grows out from downtown. All the cars are WIPED

OUT in a row, sitting ducks.

ANGLE - OVERPASS - BRIDGES

Packed with cars. They're quickly demolished as the WALL OF

DESTRUCTION blasts by.

INT. TUNNEL - SAME

Jasmine turns back from the tunnel entrance.

JASMINE'S POV - WALL OF DESTRUCTION

Ever nearing, only moments away.

Jasmine spots an open MAINTENANCE ALCOVE deep within the

tunnel. She runs to it, puts Dylan inside and climbs in after

him.

Leaning back out, Jasmine looks for Boomer who stares at her,

wagging his tail.

JASMINE:

Boomer, come. Come boy!

Boomer LEAPS inside and Jasmine ducks to the side of the WALL

OF DESTRUCTION hits the tunnel entrance, cars are JAMMED

TOGETHER, SMASHING into one another.

Suddenly the car ARE BLOWN CLEAR THROUGH THE TUNNEL like so

many toy Hot Wheel cars.

Inside the Maintenance alcove, Jasmine shields Dylan and

Boomer with her body.

EXT. MANHATTAN - WIDE ANGLE - SAME

From a distance we WATCH as all of Manhattan is consumed from

its center outwardly by the growing WALL OF DESTRUCTION.

Within seconds all of Manhattan is gone.

The WALL OF DESTRUCTION reaches its outer most edges and fades

away.

The SCHISM under the craft slowly CLOSES. The ship now hovers

over a completely wiped out Manhattan.

SLOW DISSOLVE:

INT. BRENNON TRAILER - PRE-DAWN

A hand adjusts the trailer radio.

RADIO:

(filtered)

...reports are unclear as to the

extent of the devastation, but

from all accounts, Los Angeles,

Washington and New York have been

left in ruins...

Russell shoots a worried look over to Miguel. Suddenly Troy

moves up to the front on wobbly legs.

TROY:

Guys, I don't feel so good.

RUSSELL:

When was the last time you had

your medicine?

TROY:

Four days... five?

Troy looks really sick. Miguel is shocked.

MIGUEL:

But I gave you some this morning.

TROY:

I didn't take it. I thought I

didn't need it anymore.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY - SAME

The trailer, with Russell's Bi-wing in tow, pulls over. Troy

rushes out, vomiting on the side of the road. Miguel comes to

his aide. Russell steps out and walks to the curve in the

highway.

RUSSELL:

Miguel? Come take a look at this.

Reluctantly Miguel leaves his brother's side.

POV - RUSSELL AND MIGUEL

Below an entire valley filled with campers, trailers and

busses. An instant refugee city, if you will, for as far as

the eye can see. Spectacular.

CUT TO:

INT. EL TORO - BRIEFING ROOM - MORNING

Thirty-five pilots are being briefed by their Commanding

Office, CAPTAIN WATSON who points to a fuzzy photograph of

the craft over Los Angeles.

WATSON:

You will be the first wave in our

counter attack. Though

surveillance satellite

reconnaissance has been impaired,

we have a fix on our primary

target.

Steve and Jimmy sit next to each other near the back of the

room

STEVE:

(whispered)

You won't exactly need radar to

find it.

Jimmy chuckles. Watson is annoyed.

WATSON:

You want to add something to this

briefing, Lt. Hill?

Steve smiles confidently.

STEVE:

Sorry, Sir. Just real anxious to

kick some alien ass.

Everyone chuckles, including Captain Watson.

EXT. EL TORO MARINE CORPS AIR STATION - MOMENTS LATER

Huge hangar doors open revealing an F/A-18 HORNET, one of the

U.S.A.F.'s elite.

TARMAC - OVERHEAD SHOT

Thirty F/A-18s await take off on the tarmac as Technicians and

Flight Crews race for position.

ENGINE BLAST:

The heat waves momentarily obscure our view as the F/A-18s

take to the air.

INT. AIR FORCE ONE - SAME

The President is deeply contemplative. Constance sits down

next to him. She knows what he's thinking.

CONSTANCE:

You saved a lot of lives.

PRESIDENT:

I could have evacuated the cities

hours ago.

(beat)

You know, when I flew in the Gulf

War everything is simple. We

knew what we had to do. It's not

simple anymore, Connie. A lot of

people died today. How many

didn't have to?

Constance realizes there's no comforting him. She supports

him silently by being there. General Grey comes over.

PRESIDENT:

Any news on my wife?

GENERAL GREY:

The helicopter never arrived at

Nellis and there's been no radio

contact.

The news rocks the President. They both know what that means.

GENERAL GREY (cont'd)

The fighters are in the air.

Whitmore nods and follows the General to the back of the

plane.

COMMAND CENTER - AIR FORCE ONE

Military Command has been set up on Air Force One, a kind of

flying NORAD. Military and technical crew are seated at the

controls. Nimziki is already there.

GENERAL GREY:

All satellites, microwave and

ground communications with the

cities are gone. We believe we're

looking at a total loss.

Maintaining his composure, the President looks up at the many

tracking screens.

PRESIDENT:

Where are they?

GENERAL GREY:

(pointing)

ETA with target; four minutes.

EXT. BLUE SKIES - TACTICAL FIGHTERS - SAME

Five F/A-18 fighters move into frame. As we WIDEN we REVEAL a

total of 30 F/A-18s in attack formation, destination Los

Angeles.

INT. STEVE'S FIGHTER - SAME

Steve pulls a long cigar out of his breast pocket.

STEVE:

(into radio)

Jimmy crack corn, do you have

victory dance?

INT. JIMMY'S FIGHTER - SAME

Jimmy pulls his cigar out. Examines it.

JIMMY:

(into radio)

That is an affirmative. I have

victory dance. Mmmmmmm.

STEVE:

(filtered)

Don't get premature on me, Jimmy.

We don't light up 'til the Fat

Lady sings.

JIMMY:

I hear you.

INT. AIR FORCE ONE - PASSENGER SECTION - SAME

Air sick, David holds a "barf bag" as Moishe talks.

MOISHE:

It's Air Force One for crying out

loud. Still he gets sick?

DAVID:

Moishe, please, don't talk.

Moishe pats his belly.

MOISHE:

Look at me, like a rock. Good

weather, bad, doesn't matter.

(motions with his hands)

We can go up and down, back and

forth, side to side...

David can't take any more of this story and takes off running

for the bathroom.

MOISHE:

What I say?

Constance comes over, sits next to Moishe.

CONSTANCE:

He still gets air sick, huh? In

all of this I didn't get the

chance to thank you two.

MOISHE:

Think nothing of it, Spanky.

Constance smiles, corrects him.

CONSTANCE:

Spunky. He told you about that?

MOISHE:

(nods)

All he could think about was

getting to you. There's still

love there I think.

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