Massive alien spacecraft appear above major cities worldwide and unleash devastating beams of destruction. The remaining survivors band together for one final assault against the enslaving aliens. Director Roland Emmerich and co-writer Dean Devlin spliced together various genres to concoct a pulse-pounding thrill-ride that became one of the biggest success stories in film. The cast features Will Smith as a hot-shot, cigar-chomping fighter pilot; Jeff Goldblum as a tech wiz whose computer skills match the E.T.’s; and Bill Pullman as the POTUS whose climactic inspirational speech becomes the heart of the film. Yet the true star of this invasion story is the visual effects, which effectively combine CGI with practical models. After all, who doesn’t remember the iconic shot of the White House being blown to smithereens? It’s no wonder Independence Day won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and is still regarded – ironically or not – as an excellent celebration of America’s actual independence.

Teens: cool off this summer and attend the July 5 screening for FREE when you show a valid ID at the box office.