Recognizing what's truly important

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2016)

Even though we Do win in the end, this movie isn't all Happily Ever After. Some characters Do die (i.e. the first lady, Steve's partner Jimmy); the people left behind are forced to deal with the crisis, while battling their own grief. Their loss is what Inspires them to go and "Win the Day!"
As President Whitmore so movingly puts it (that speech makes me cry every time), "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!" When all of civilization is threatened, people recognize those things that are truly important in their lives (i.e. Jasmine quits her job to go stay with Steve on the base, David goes to warn Connie, Steve marries Jasmine), and the world puts aside their petty differences and unites.
That, combined with the Best Special Effects in the movie industry, is why this is my all-time favorite movie, and disaster thrillers (i.e. Armageddon, Deep Impact, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow) are my Favorite genre!