Independence Day

SmokeScreeners review: 

Year of Release:  1996

MPAA Rating:  PG-13

Director:  Roland Emmerich

Distributor:  Twentieth Century Fox

Reviewed by Dr. Barry Hummel on 7/26/2008

Dr. Hummel wrote the following comments:

"I wanted to focus on an interesting transition during the Sci-Fi movie Independence Day (1996).

In this early scene from the movie, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) gives his father (Judd Hirsch) a lecture about smoking cigars:

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Much later in the movie, Levinson has flown into the heart of an alien ship with Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) to plant a computer virus designed to bring down the alien fleet.  Things are looking grim, so the two heroes do the obvious:  they share a cigar!

[youtube:RZFgtqWwq-s]

The message is loud and clear.  Despite a lifetime of clean, healthy living, Levinson decides to light up now that it looks as if his life is about to end.  On the surface, this seems harmless enough.  But why on earth (or in space) would a cigar be this man's dying wish?

Of course, Levinson has a small problem:  he survives!  So our two heroes return to earth, cigars in hand:

[youtube:wot0MXHSXIw]

Captain Hiller is kind enough to smoke around both his fiancee and her young son.  Meanwhile, Levinson's father notices his cigar and asks, 'So this is healthy?'

'No,' Levinson replies, 'but I could get used to it.'

Used to it or addicted to it?  Or, are they really the same thing?"