I love the movie Independence Day. It's got everything you want in a movie: Will Smith, aliens, Bill Pullman as President, and Jeff Goldblum!

I have a weird old man crush on Jeff Goldblum. There is just something about those thick black-rimmed glasses that makes me feel some kind of way. Seriously though, 90's Jeff Goldblum is the best Jeff Goldblum.

Casting Society Awards
Actor Jeff Goldblum attends the Casting Society of America's 17th Annual Artios Awards October 4, 2001. (Photo by Alexander Sibaja/Getty Images)
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But I digress, I think Bill Pullman as the President in this movie is perfect.  He has the honor of giving one of the greatest speeches in movie history. He makes me want to learn how to fly a plane so I can help save the planet from an alien invasion.

The President of the United States (Bill Pullman) gives a stirring speech to those going to fight the alien invasion.
20th Century Fox via YouTube
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President Thomas Whitmore: Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

This speech is so good, it even makes you forget, for a second, that Randy Quaid is nuts. The only bad thing about this scene is that Jeff Goldblum isn't in it!

Jeff Goldblum Performs On SiriusXM's Real Jazz Channel At The SiriusXM Studios In New York City
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Jeff Goldblum performs with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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I loved this scene so much, that I actually recited this speech in my High School Speech class.

Makes me proud to be an American!!

So, go ahead and re-watch one of the best cinematic moments ever!

Cue the goosebumps!

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Randy's Minnesota Memories

Randy McDaniel grew up on a small farm near Leota, Minnesota during the classic baby-boomer years of the 1960s and 1970s. These are his stories of growing up in the idyllic world of southwest Minnesota.

Here Are The 7 Remaining Drive-In Theaters In South Dakota

If you were born last century...you know, in the nineteen hundreds (ugh)...you may have spent a summer evening in the car watching movies. I don't mean on your phone, I mean at the drive-in movie theater!

If you were in Sioux Falls in the 1970s and '80's you may remember seeing Jaws and Indiana Jones at The East Park or the Starlite Drive-In. Both drive-ins opened just after World War 2. The East Park didn't make it out of the '70s, closing in 1978. The Starlite survived long enough to see the birth of home video, closing in 1985.


Drive-in movies had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic. They were a way to go out and do something social without getting out of your car.

If you tried one during that time, or you remember the fun of a warm summer evening watching movies on that giant screen there are still places in South Dakota and around Sioux Falls you can do it.

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