Independence Day isn't entirely about aliens and fighter pilots—there's also some hearts and roses (and dolphin rings). You need something to balance all that action and offer some rest, right?
Each of the three major plotlines comes with a romantic coupling (i.e., the President/his wife, David/Constance, and Steve/Jasmine). The lovey-dovey stuff provides some additional stakes to the whole alien situation—you know not only might the planet get destroyed, but also David and Connie might never get a chance to reconcile. Now that would be tragic…
Questions about Love
- The President and First Lady are the only couple who don't get a happy ending. Why do you think that is? Why do you think the filmmakers made that choice?
- What has changed for Connie and David at the end of the film that allows them to be together now?
- What has changed for Jasmine and Steve that allows Steve to embrace marriage with her, after (apparently) some reluctance?
Chew on This
As Julius says (quoting John Lennon), "All you need is love." David and Connie and Jasmine and Steve can be together at the end of the film because they've figured that out. Without love, does it really matter what happens to the planet?
Love is not all you need. The film's power couples (David and Connie, and Steve and Jasmine) only end up together after one member of the couple has proven his/her mettle/bravery to the other (and risked death). That suggests that while love is all well and good, extreme circumstances and bravery were necessary to cement these relationships.