In 1996, Independence Day caused a stir with a Super Bowl spot that showed an alien ship blowing up the White House. Executives at 20th Century Fox were nervous and even told director Roland Emmerich that simply wasn’t something you could do in a national TV ad. But the spot ended up being a hit, helping build buzz that propelled the film to $817.4 million at the global box office, then the second highest grossing film of all time.
The image of an exploding White House takes on a new light today, with President Trump ordering the demolition of the East Wing, including the storied White House screening room that opened under Franklin D. Roosevelt and has hosted screenings of many memorable movies. (The plan is to rebuild the screening room down the road.)
As fate has it, Independence Day was among the films that screened at the White House. In 2021, as part of a larger oral history of the film, Emmerich, star Bill Pullman and writer-producer Dean Devlin recalled watching the White House explode …. while at the White House.
Below, an excerpt from that larger 2021 oral history.
DEAN DEVLIN, writer-producer We were in the middle of doing a press junket in New York for the movie. The phone is ringing in my room. I pick it up and they said, “Could you hold for the White House.” I said, “What?” And they said, “The President would like to screen the movie tonight.”
ROLANDEMMERICH, writer-director All of a sudden we are standing in the middle of the White House, and Bill Clinton is chatting us up. They have the worst screening room there ever. It’s a former bowling alley, a little postmark of a screen.
DEVLIN In the front row is Hillary [Clinton] and Bill. And Bill has the largest tub of popcorn I’ve ever seen.
BILLPULLMAN, president Thomas Whitmore All three of us were in the back row, standing up, because we were too nervous to even take a seat.
DEVLIN Clinton waves to Roland to come sit down next to him.
PULLMAN Roland was so decisive. “I am German, I can’t go.” I thought, “That’s weak! You are the director.” And Dean, he wrote the speech! He said, “No, no, I’m too nervous.” By default, I said, “OK, I’ll serve the cause.”
EMMERICH Bill had to sit next to the president, right in front between [the Clintons]. Sandwiched in.
PULLMAN It was a little nerve-racking.
DEVLIN Remember in Amadeus at the end of the opera, it’s silent until the king claps his hands and then everybody claps? It was like that for every joke of the movie. No one wanted to laugh at a joke until they heard Bill laugh.
EMMERICH The first big destruction scene starts with blowing up the White House. In test screenings, a lot of people left right after, and then they immediately came running back. They didn’t pee earlier because they were so into the movie.
DEVLIN When we got to the moment the White House blows up, Roland and I are looking at each other going, “We’re in the White House watching it blow up.” It was bizarre.
EMMERICH Then, who runs out? Bill Clinton! One minute later, he comes back, shaking his hands dry. Dean and I looked at each other and nearly started laughing.
PULLMAN At the very end, Hillary leaned over and say, “You really were great, and if we ever need to step away for a weekend we know who to call.” Bill wanted to give me a tour. So we ducked out after the movie. It was just me and him walking around, talking about, “This is the desk from 1812 where they signed such and such.” I thought, “I’m glad it was me that went to watch the movie in front.”
Read the full oral history here.
