Parents' Guide to

Independence Day

By Ken Feil, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Nonstop over-the-top fun for teens and up.

Movie PG-13 1996 153 minutes
Independence Day Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 18 parent reviews

Susan M.
Susan M. Parent of 12 and 14-year-old
September 6, 2021
age 12+

Silly popcorn fun

This is a SciFi movie that is very low on the "Sci." Don't think too hard about the realism factor. It's a mix of one-liners and the calculated emotional rollercoaster of the pending end of humanity. My tween and teen sons thought it was fun. My husband and I suffered through it for the sake of family movie night. As a '90s pic, you'll notice that female characters are sparsely written, and there's an obligatory scantily clad woman dancing at a strip club (no nudity though). Swearing and lots of death by explosions depicted.
2 people found this helpful.
Steve M.
Steve M. Parent
January 13, 2023
age 13+

A bit creepy

Great movie, but the aliens are a bit creepy and scary for under 13 yo kids
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

INDEPENDENCE DAY follows the plotline of several previous Hollywood sci-fi disaster movies. The story features a wide variety of social types reacting to the arrival of aliens and the aliens' eventual attack on the planet Earth, which include: The President (Bill Pullman) and Press Secretary (Margaret Colin) in D.C.; the First Lady (Mary McDonnell) on a publicity junket; a marine pilot (Will Smith) and his stripper girlfriend (Vivica A. Fox) in Los Angeles; a cable technician (Jeff Goldblum), his father (Judd Hirsch) and boss (Harvey Fierstein) in New York City; and an alcoholic crop duster (Randy Quaid) and his family in rural California. After the initial spectacular deluge, in which the alien attackers lay waste to L.A. and New York City, a majority of this diverse crew collaborates to survive and eventually vanquish the invaders.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18):
Kids say (65):

This is the film that sky-rocketed Smith to blockbuster action-hero status; it's clever, intensely thrilling, and, if you can recognize the stock stereotypes and movie plots, very funny.

Independence Day harks back to the classic alien-invasion movies of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the disaster movies of the 1970s. These sources provide campy material for the film to quote from as well as advanced special-effects technology. References to The War of the Worlds (1953), The Day the Earth Stood Still, and imagery from Earthquake and The Towering Inferno provide chuckles to knowing audiences. Overblown performances by Smith, Brent Spiner (as an addled scientist from Area 54), Hirsch, and Fierstein will no doubt tease a few guffaws, as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotypes associated with action-disaster movies, as well as how race, class, and gender are represented in Independence Day.

  • How does the violence in this movie compare to what you've seen in other sci-fi/action movies? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?

  • Which characters are role models? Why? Did you notice any stereotypes in the movie?

Movie Details

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