Upamanyu Biswas
In the 1996 alien invasion film ‘Independence Day,’ multiple central characters helm the narrative in Earth’s fight for survival against the hostile extraterrestrial assailants. One of these individuals, Captain Steve Hiller, a fighter pilot, consistently gambles with his life to face his enemies head-on in the air. Meanwhile, on land, his girlfriend Jasmine, her son Dylan, and their dog named Boomer venture across destroyed lands for their own safety. Across several scenes, the dog becomes a pivotal part of the scenery, aiding in the rescue of people due to his superior senses and taking part in some nail-biting action scenes himself. However, as the alien invasion progresses towards a global annihilation plan, the fate of the family and their dog is put at risk innumerable times, inciting many to wonder if the family’s beloved companion makes it till the end of the film. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Boomer is a Resourceful Canine Helper Who Cheats Death
Although a small addition to the human crew, Boomer is an essential emotional component to the narrative of ‘Independence Day.’ His presence gives the audience an added reason to root for Hiller’s family to survive the destruction seeded by the aliens. In one nerve-wracking scene, the dog has to make it into a tunnel where Jasmine and her son, Dylan, are taking shelter before the fireball from the alien ship proceeds to incinerate him. There is a collective sense of relief from watching him skip into the tiny hiding place right in time before he is fatally hurt. Following this, Boomer showcases heroics by locating the injured First Lady, Marilyn Whitmore.
The canine companion stays by Jasmine’s side throughout the film, including the very end, where he reunites with his owner, Steve Hiller, in a rousing climax. In the behind-the-scenes commentary recorded between director Roland Emmerich and writer Dean Devlin, the latter talked about how Boomer’s survival became a major discussion point within the narrative. He said, “No matter how many people were to be killed, or how many buildings [were] blown up, it never had the impact of this one simple dog running from the fire. People were more concerned about this dog than the millions of people in the cities. That says a lot about us as a culture.”
Reportedly, Boomer’s close call with death in the tunnel and his escape from that situation were late decisions in the production. The scene was taped against a bluescreen, and the background elements of the miniature tunnel, cars, and fireball were composited in post-production. The dog is played by Dakota, a yellow labrador retriever who also stars in the 1995 adventure film ‘Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog,’ as the titular canine. For ‘Independence Day,’ there was a trainer on set to give the dog verbal and hand cues, which aided in providing specific instructions during the filming process. Some scenes also required multiple trainers due to the complexity of the tasks carried out by the Hiller family’s beloved pet.
In conclusion, although Boomer makes a short appearance compared to the central human protagonists, his inclusion in Independence Day serves to remind everyone about the fondness for dogs that is ingrained in humans. As Devlin points out, his escape from death becomes a major part of the emotional heartbeat for audiences as they watch the alien invasion annihilate most human cities with ease. However, everybody can breathe easy knowing that the faithful companion survives the whole ordeal and reunites with his owner in the film’s final sequence.
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