By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
June 2, 1995
“F luke” gives new meaning to the phrase “men are dogs.” In this new adventure film, Fluke is the canine reincarnation of a man who died in a freak auto accident.
Thomas Johnson (Matthew Modine) and Jeff Newman (Eric Stoltz) are best friends and business partners.
After a fight, Johnson gets into a fatal car crash. We see all this not in real time, but through the eyes of a puppy named Fluke who has flashbacks about the night and retains memories of Johnson’s widow, Carol (Nancy Travis), and son Brian (Max Pomeranc).
As he grows older and can’t shake the memory of Johnson’s telephone number and address, Fluke becomes convinced he is Johnson. He also believes that Newman not only is responsible for his death, but also is a threat to his family. He decides to go back home. While Fluke’s world-weary pal Rumbo is derisive of “two-leggers,” he nonetheless helps Fluke try to re-connect with his past. (Modine supplies Fluke’s inquisitive voice, while Samuel L. Jackson booms out Rumbo’s lines.)
As Fluke, the golden retriever Comet (whose fur was dyed murky brown to look like a mutt) is a scene stealer who looks enough like Modine to pull off the film’s premise. Trying to convince his “wife” and “son” that he was once a man, Fluke clumsily gives them hints: He puts on a hat that Carol always thought was silly; he hides a toy underneath a chair, just as he used to do when he was human.
Less lighthearted than one would expect from a film that stars a dog, “Fluke” works on the “aw, how cute” level but fails when it waxes poetic about the way humans don’t realize their failures until they experience the animal’s point of view. At one point, the reincarnated Johnson does tricks for his “son” Brian while Modine can be heard as a voiceover: “I played with Brian, doing the things I never had time for as a man.”
Not that the kids will mind. There are enough amusing scenes to hold their interest. A scene where Fluke, as a puppy, urinates on a guard and then runs between the legs of another to escape an animal shelter is predictable but fun. And an animal liberation scene where Rumbo saves Fluke from a cosmetic testing lab is priceless. He reads the instructions, pushes the right buttons and releases all the animals from their cages, including a young chimpanzee that carries off a puppy too young to make a run for it himself.
Although reds and yellows weren’t used in the film (it is thought that dogs can’t see those colors), “Fluke” has a lush, vibrant feel. Director Carlo Carlei shot the film from two perspectives – one at the dog’s-eye level and another through human eyes. Rather than having a jarring affect, the varying shots help the audience see things from Fluke’s point of view.
