 When Ray (Tom Cruise (qv)) first encounters the aliens, there is a  street sign behind him displaying "Van Buren". Van Buren was the  surname of Ann Robinson (I) (qv)s character in the  _War of the Worlds, The (1953)_ (qv). Also, President Martin Van  Buren was a character portrayed by Nigel Hawthorne (qv) in Steven  Spielbergs 1997 film _Amistad (1997)_ (qv).