Release Date: 2 June 1995
Run Time: 96 minutes
Origin: USA
Mimi's Rating: 3 tail wags out of 5
"I loved them too much to get in the way of their happiness..."
The 90s saw a boom in cutesy animal movies, especially those starring dogs. Fluke stands out from that cinematic litter by not pandering to its young audience or shying away from its serious themes.
The movie opens with two men racing down foggy country roads. This becomes deadly when one car is forced into the path of a much larger vehicle. This entire opening scene has a very dreamlike quality enhanced by the use of close-ups and POV shots. The feeling of being in a dream doesn't stop there. Next, we get a bizarre CGI scene with the audience flying down strange light tunnels while orbs move around us. We find out this was an artistic representation of reincarnation and the man who died is now inhabiting a puppy's body. This opening uses minimal dialogue to tell the story and trusts the audience's comprehension skills and I admire that.
In the first of many upsetting scenes in this film, our puppy protagonist (voiced by Matthew Modine, who also played the human version of the character) and his family are taken by that staple villain of 90s animal films: the dog catcher. This tiny, adorable puppy ends up on doggy death row. This seems a little unlikely, but since this is a 90s movie Dog Pound, I guess it checks out. Luckily, our puppy pal has a vision of his widowed wife (Nancy Travis) and manages to escape certain death.
Now on the lam, he meets a kindly homeless woman who begins to care for him. Her name is Bella (Collin Wilcox Paxton), and she quickly learns that this puppy is eerily good and playing the shell game. This leads to her naming him "Fluke".
"Fluke by nature, Fluke by name".
The duo live happily together for a while, playing the shell game for money. Sadly, Bella sickens and soon dies (this movie wants to crush our happiness). As her body is taken away, Fluke watches a glowing orb that leaves the body and floats near him.
Next Fluke meets Rumbo, an older street-wise dog voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. This is when the talking dog part of the film kicks in. Fortunately, this is done with voiceovers rather than any attempts to make the dog's mouth move.
Fluke and Rumbo live happily together, and Rumbo teaches him how to survive as a street dog. But, as Fluke has already shown us, this happiness can not last. After the two quarrel, Fluke is seized by dog hater and general scumbag, Sylvester (Ron Perlman). Sylvester sells Fluke to an animal testing lab and we see this poor dog being tortured. During this torment, Fluke has more visions of his human family and learns that he was once a man named Thomas P. Johnson. These visions lead Fluke to believe that his death wasn't an accident and that his friend/business partner was responsible. He also begins to believe that this man is a danger to his family. Just when it all seems hopeless, Rumbo heroically smashes through the window and frees Fluke and all the other captive animals. The animals flee the lab but since Fluke doesn't want you to be happy, Rumbo is shot by Sylvester during the escape. As Rumbo dies, he admits that he too was once a man in another life.
"Remember that snapshot behind old Bert's counter? That was me. In another life. Bert was my brother. Hmm. I never really missed being a two-legger. But the sea... Huh. I wish I could smell the sea again. All I know is you were the best friend I ever had. I'll miss you."
Now friendless, Fluke decides to seek out his family. When he finds them, he convinces them to bring him home as their family dog. As more of his memories return, Fluke becomes aware that he may have not been the best father or husband. He also becomes more suspicious of Jeff Newman (Eric Stoltz), his old best friend and possibly the one responsible for his death. Does Jeff have it out for Fluke's family? Find out in: Fluke!
The standout performance of the film is delivered by Max Pomeranc in the role of Fluke's human son, Brian. He's very natural in the role and provides some big emotional moments. Especially considering his costar is a dog for most of his scenes.
Speaking of dogs, this movie has some great dog acting and dog stunts. There's a pretty wild scene where Rumbo crashes through a window. Just very well-trained good boys throughout.
Jeez, what a downer movie. While Fluke ultimately has a hopeful message, it's a sad road to get there. Not your average family animal film, Fluke is an odd combo of fun animal antics and tear-jerker drama. It certainly delivers a unique experience that will have you contemplating the meaning of it all by the end credits. And while Fluke is full of 90s animal movie tropes, the way it tackles loss, the meaning of life, and the treatment of animals truly elevates it. But with these themes comes the question: who is this movie for? I'm sure a lot of children would find this story disturbing, and adults would probably find the animal antics too silly. I know when I watched it as a child I thoroughly enjoyed it, but by that time I had already been watching more adult-oriented media. So, if you do sit down with your kids to watch Fluke, just be mindful that they may be coming away with some questions.
Why you should watch:
You like cute dog movies.
You like tear-jerker dramas.
Why you shouldn't watch:
You don't like talking animal movies.
You don't like bittersweet endings.
You don't like movies that are trying their best to make you cry.