It's 2021 And Bill Pullman's Still Milking That 'Independence Day' Speech For All It's Worth In New Budweiser Commercial
You might think that after the disastrous misfire known as Independence Day: Resurgence, the pop culture cachet of the entire IP might be less valuable these days than it used to be. Well, dear reader, think again because you would be absolutely wrong. For Americans, the Fourth of July is fast approaching and no matter where on the globe you are, you probably know exactly what that means: dangerous and cruelly dog-frightening fireworks, shameless capitalism, and an entire heaping dose of Independence Day memes.
Budweiser has apparently picked up on the latter two of those points, at least, as they've released a new holiday-themed commercial starring none other than Bill Pullman. Check it out below. Or don't. We're not the boss of you.
Bill Pullman Budweiser Commercial
Not terribly surprisingly, this commercial would seem to want everyone's collective memory wiped and for us to pretend —as most of us may do anyway, admittedly — that the last Independence Day film simply never happened. Instead, it asks us to revel in the nostalgia of that one great speech Pullman delivered as President Thomas J. Whitmore in 1996's Independence Day. And speaking of the original, by the way, it may not be the greatest blockbuster ever made, but it certainly feels like one of the purest distillations of America itself for better or worse. But the schlocky Roland Emmerich film also contained a surprising amount of heart to it, enough so that younger me latched onto it amid all the extravagant explosions and apocalyptic destruction. See, it's not all bad!
Now, it's being used to sell some beer. What could be more American than that?
All that said, it's an amusing enough commercial and at least does it's best to try and act like an official coming-out party after the global misery caused by the pandemic (which, uh, is still ongoing). But despite whatever misgivings anyone may have, it's tough to hold it against Pullman himself. Remember, it was only last year that he teamed up with the Alamo Drafthouse to release a mask-wearing PSA video imploring everyone to do the responsible thing to mitigate the devastation of the coronavirus. If we have to keep that admittedly rousing speech in the public consciousness on an eternal, once-a-year cycle, that would seem like the ideal way to do it.
On the bright side of things, at least we're still lucky enough to be around to read crucial tidbits like this. Maybe July 4th isn't so bad after all. Maybe Independence Day: Resurgence has its charms, after all. It's a new world out there, folks. Enjoy the holiday responsibly.