Fluke (1995) Movie Script
(FEEDBACK/VOICES OVERLAPPING)
MAN:
I ask you to listen with an open mind,
forgetting for a moment what
you believe and don't believe.
This is how it started.
On a night like this.
On a two-lane country road
not far from here.
Hey, Jeff!
Pull over!
(HONKS HORN)
(WHIMPERS)
(SIREN)
(SPEAKS CHINESE)
(BARKING)
It's that same mutt
causing all the racket.
He's done nothing
but bark since the other pups were adopted.
Tomorrow you can
put him to sleep.
For now, put him
in the can.
(WHIMPERS)
(MAKES KISSING NOISES)
Come here, boy.
Uncle Jerry's got a special treat for you today.
Stop that dog!
(DOG WHINING)
Now...
Now...
Now you're history!
(EXCLAIMS)
(HORN HONKS)
(SHRIEKING AND LAUGHING)
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
(HEAVY METAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(KISSING NOISES)
(KISSING NOISES)
Come here,
little fellow.
Come on. We'll keep
each other warm.
Come on.
Come on.
(CHUCKLES)
MAN: These two connecting
circles. They mean forever.
It's beautiful.
Will you be with me forever?
Yes, Tommy.
Forever.
(COUGHS)
"My fancies are fireflies.
"Specks of living light,
twinkling in the dark."
Poetry is food for the soul,
little puppy.
(SIGHS)
We've seen better days.
Oh, well. Here, let's
play a little game.
Now...
See, we have three
walnut shells.
One, two, three.
Three walnut shells.
And we put the little jewel
under one.
We move 'em around.
Move 'em around.
There. Where is it?
Where's the jewel?
Good puppy. Good puppy.
Okay. Here we go again.
Now, where is it? Where is it?
Good puppy.
Good puppy.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Good puppy. Good puppy!
He's such a smart little guy.
Thank you.
It was just a fluke.
He's my little fluke.
Yes!
Fluke by nature,
Fluke by name.
(COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS)
I... I don't feel
very well, Fluke.
I think I'll take
a nap before we go.
(BARKING)
MALE VOICE:
Rise and shine, squirt.
Don't let 'em
catch you sleeping here.
That old dogcatcher
gets up mighty early
lookin' for easy targets
just like you.
Did you run away,
or did they pull that old
"drive across the bridge
and dump the pup" trick?
You can talk?
Don't be goofy.
I'm a dog, pal.
But you're not barking.
What you're saying
to me are words.
It's a mental thing.
It's what I want you to know
and what you want
me to know.
That's all it is.
But... But...
Didn't you ever meet anyone
who could communicate?
No, never.
Well, now you have.
They call me Rumbo.
What about you?
Fluke.
Mmm-mmm.
I smell hunger
with a capital "H".
Whaddya say we get
something to eat?
What about Bella?
I'm afraid Bella
had to move on, my friend.
You won't be seeing her
anymore.
Hey, come on. It's chowtime.
Let's roll.
Rumbo, wait up.
I have to do something.
Whoa, what have we
got here?
Mmm-mmm-mmm.
That's not the way
we do it, squirt.
Now, check this out.
Three paws down, firmly,
while number four
reaches for the sky.
Oh.
Now that's class!
Rumbo, help! Help!
Hey, squirt, we're goin' to
eat and you're takin' a bath.
Get outta there. Come on.
Come on. You can do it.
Come on.
There.
You okay?
Yeah. I'm okay.
Well, that's one
way of gettin' rid of your fleas.
What's that...
What's that smell?
I mean, I love it. I love it.
Hey, hey! Be cool.
Knock it off.
Ow!
Come on back here.
Come on.
It's taken me years
to build this route
and I'm not gonna let
some rookie ruin it for me.
Now, you just sit there
and watch the master.
Hey, Rumbo.
What's goin' on?
What'll it be?
Coming right up, sir.
There you go.
Now, who is this?
Listen here, Rumbo,
you know I can't be feeding all your buddies.
Just let me
handle this.
Hey, Bert, how about something
for the pup?
I bet you want something
for the pup too, huh?
Ow!
Now, you two, out of here.
I got payin' customers to tend to.
Okay, now. Listen up.
You're gonna meet the boss,
but he don't have a lot
of patience with dogs,
so when he talks to you,
just wag your tail and go
into your puppy routine,
all right?
Okay.
You are gonna love this place,
kid. Lots of nice shade and soft places to lay.
It's the only place I know
you can chase car tires
and not worry
about gettin' run over.
(RUMBO CHUCKLES)
MAN: Uh-huh, yeah.
All righty. I'll have to call
you back, all right?
(MAN COUGHS)
Rumbo, where the hell
you been all night? Huh?
What do you have,
a sweetheart? What!
Just go to him.
He called me a girl.
People make mistakes.
Now forgive him and get over there and wag your tail.
What's he doing?
He's being affectionate.
Well, it hurts.
Well, love hurts.
What's this say?
"Fluke". What the hell
kinda name is that?
Ah, that's a nice dog.
(WHIMPERS)
RUMBO: Hey. Hey!
What's going on?
I guess I was dreaming.
You were what?
Uh, dreaming.
I was seeing
pictures inside my head.
Pictures ain't got
no business being inside your head.
Next time you just growl
and chase 'em away.
Rumbo, have you always
been a dog?
What you talkin' about?
What else could I have been?
I don't know. A human.
A two-legger? Me?
Rule number one:
stop askin' dumb questions.
It's just that...
No "buts," no "ifs," no "ands."
Stop talking all this
nonsense. It's sack time.
Good night.
Good night, Rumbo.
RUMBO: Oh, man!
This is too good to be true.
What are we gonna do, Rumbo?
Take a good look, squirt.
We done hit
the promised land.
Oh, holy smoke!
D'you think this'll be all right?
All right? The guy
walked away.
That's what I consider
formal invitation.
Everything smells so good.
Mmm-hmm.
Mmm-mmm! (CHUCKLES)
I knew I smelled pumpkin!
Hey!
BERT: Yeah, so I'm
sittin' there just waitin' for the light,
this woman bangs
into the back of my car.
$500 damage and
they raise my insurance rates.
Now you tell me if that
makes any sense.
(BARKING)
Fluke?
Fluke. Cool it.
(CUSTOMER COUGHING)
Don't mind that dog.
He's harmless. RUMBO: What's with you?
There's something about him.
Can't you smell it, Rumbo?
That'll be $1.85.
All right. Thank you.
Oops.
Sorry about that.
Hey! Hey!
Get off me!
Fluke, you cut that out.
That dog is vicious, mister.
He attacked me.
You can't keep a dog like that
in a public place. You hear what I said?
I heard you. Now go on, man.
You're making
the dogs nervous.
Go on, get outta here!
It's all right.
Everything's all right.
Shh, shh. It's all right.
It's all right. Quiet. It's okay.
Sorry, pooch. I guess
you're gonna have to find something else to read.
What's up?
You look like you
just saw a ghost.
I saw someone
I used to know.
An old friend?
I think... He's a murderer.
I hear they were your dogs.
My dogs never bit
anybody normal.
Well, that dog
ought to be put to sleep.
The dogs had their shots
and you ain't gonna die from that little scratch.
I could complain
to Animal Control. I could make a lot of trouble for you.
Mike...
All right?
Now get outta here.
RUMBO: Uh-oh.
I think it's time to split.
Hey! Hey, Rumbo! Rumbo!
Rumbo, get back here!
Come on, you guys.
Time for supper.
Daddy's back.
Hey! Hey, Rumbo! I see you.
You're gonna get yours.
Okay, Fluke.
You did your time.
(RINGING TONE)
WOMAN:
Hello?
Hello?
Hello? Is anybody there?
(LICKING)
Who's this?
What the hell...
Hey, Fluke!
Hey! Fluke!
(GROANS)
Oh, these dogs.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Hi. Who's calling?
You called, lady.
Who you lookin' for?
No, you called me.
Who is this?
I didn't call anybody.
The only other person in this office was Fluke,
and he couldn't have called
because he's a dog, lady.
Rumbo, I wasn't
always a dog. And neither were you.
Right! Last week
I was Snow White.
Well, how do you know
who Snow White is?
It's something you knew
in your past,
it's something
you read in a book.
That's ridiculous.
Don't you see? You can't face it.
You're lying to yourself.
I'm happy who I am.
But I'm not.
I lived in a house.
I had a family. I had a life once, Rumbo.
You got one now.
A damn good one. I'm gonna find them.
If you're gonna go chasing
after humans in your head, you're going alone.
And don't bother coming back!
Rumbo! Wait!
Get him in the truck.
There you go.
You're right. He's just the right size.
(MACHINE BEEPING)
(HORN HONKING)
Forever.
(BEEPING QUICKENS)
This is impossible.
What's going on,
Sylvester?
(ALARM BLARES)
Come on, squirt.
We gotta get outta here. Can you walk?
I think so.
Got it. Now let's roll.
Rumbo, I can't see.
Grab my tail.
Ow! Hey, easy with
the teeth, now.
Watch your step.
Here we go.
Blue skies ahead.
Shoot the dog.
I can't shoot the dog!
Maybe we should
stop here for a minute. They'll never find us here.
I think maybe I'll lay down
for a while.
How are your eyes?
A little better.
Rumbo, you're bleeding.
Listen to me, squirt.
You stay in these woods until your eyes heal.
What do you mean?
I'm staying with you.
I don't think
I can help you any more, squirt.
Rumbo,
why you talking like this? You're gonna be all right.
Forget it. There's nothing
you can do.
Come closer.
Look,
we've got to stay together. You and me, like always.
I can't make it
without you, Rumbo.
I had another dream.
My family's in danger.
Fluke, things aren't always
what they seem.
Rule number one:
there's no going back.
You can't be sorry about
what's been, squirt.
You got to be.
Please. I have to know.
Am I the only one?
You were a man once, too.
Weren't you, Rumbo?
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.
Rumbo, don't leave me.
Maybe we'll meet again,
squirt.
Next time around.
No.
Rumbo?
(SOBS) No.
Rumbo's words kept
ringing in my ears: "There's no going back."
But my family was in danger.
I had to go to them.
(BELL RINGING)
We're gonna be late.
Wait up.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
Let's go.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
Cool. Hey, boy.
GIRL: Oh, sweet puppy.
GIRL 2: Neat dog.
(ENGINE STARTS)
Move it, pooch.
(GASPS)
Get down. Get away.
Look at this!
Mom, he's not gonna bite us.
Get down!
Get away.
This dog is crazy.
Get down! Get away
from the car!
What is with this dog?
Brian, shut your door.
Shut it. Shut it.
CAROL: What's wrong with it?
I've never seen
a dog act like this.
Mom, the windows are up.
He can't do anything to us.
Let's go. We're going home.
My god, it scared me.
(FLUKE BARKING)
It's the dog from school.
No, no, Brian.
Don't open the door.
What's going on?
My god. How did he get here?
Uh, that's okay,
Libby, thanks.
Mom, we have to feed him.
He must have run all the way here.
Come away from the door.
Come on.
He must be thirsty.
Brian, we don't know anything about that dog.
Stubborn dog.
Brian, come and eat.
I'm not hungry.
CAROL: There's a big
juicy cheeseburger here with your name on it.
Come on and eat your supper.
I don't think I can eat
with that sad creature staring in at me.
He probably hasn't
eaten for days.
All right.
He can stay for just one meal,
then he's gone. Deal?
Deal.
Ah!
I told you, Mom. He's really nice.
Good boy.
(SNEEZES)
Bless you! I think
he likes us.
Do you think anybody
owns him?
Well, let's see
if he's got a tag here.
Here it is.
Oh, there's no address. It just says "Fluke".
Hi, Fluke.
Fluke.
Mom, I know we made
a deal and I respect it.
But can't we keep him...
Just for a little while?
Brian, why don't you
get up off the floor?
Just until we find
his owner?
You can't put him
on the street now.
I mean,
he could be hit by a car.
You are just like your father.
A con artist.
Your father used to brag
he could sell ice cubes to the Eskimos.
Well...
He can stay on one condition.
He has to have a bath, right now. He's filthy.
(GROANS)
Energize.
(IMITATES GUNFIRE)
Gotcha.
BRIAN: Gotcha.
Fluke, have you seen Data?
Hey.
My dad used
to do that.
(WHIMPERS)
Okay, Fluke, this is
your bed for the night.
I'll see you
in the morning.
(GASPS)
What are you doing here?
See you later, Fluke.
Come on, Brian. We're gonna be late.
What's the matter,
Fluke? Hmm?
What's the matter?
You're a sweet boy.
You're a very sweet dog.
Playing with Brian,
doing things that I never had time for when I was a man,
made me realize
how precious every moment is.
This was where I belonged.
Somehow, sooner or later,
I'd find a way to tell them who I really was.
(CLATTER)
Brian!
(GASPS)
Fluke...
Did you escape
from a circus, or what?
Tom looked so
silly in this hat.
Ready, Brian?
All right. Come on, Fluke! Let's go.
We're off to see the Wizard
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Because, because,
because, because, because
Because of
the wonderful things he does
We're...
off to see the Wizard
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Because, because,
because, because, because...
WOMAN ON TV:
I love you.
More than you know.
TOM:
She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
I would have given anything
to tell her
how much I loved her.
More than fields
I have planted with my hands.
I love you more
than morning prayers.
Shh, Fluke. Stop whining.
I'm trying to
watch the movie. It's okay, Fluke.
(VEHICLE APPROACHES)
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Come in. The door's open.
Hi, Jeff.
Hi.
No, Fluke! No! Jeff!
No. Fluke!
Fluke, no!
What are you gonna do to him?
Please, don't hurt him!
Open the door!
You all right?
Hello.
Give me Animal Control. Don't call them!
Brian, please! No, no,
we've got a dog that's going crazy on our front lawn.
Brian, honey,
go to your room. It'll be okay. Please, go.
Yes, please.
6241 Willow Drive.
I don't know
what got into him.
I don't know
why he's acting like this.
Well, something's
wrong with that dog.
Good evening.
What seems to be the problem, sir?
Well, my friend's kid
brought home some stray
that just went berserk.
It bit me.
It's a large, brown mutt.
He might still be
around here somewhere. I don't know.
OFFICER: We're not going
to find him out there. OFFICER #2: He's gone.
We'll call Animal
Control in the morning. Thanks for coming out.
If it happens again,
give us a call.
Well, there's
nothing more I can do.
Are you okay? I mean...
Yeah. It didn't break the skin.
Don't go yet.
Why don't you stay for a bit?
JEFF: They'll take him
to the pound.
CAROL: I don't wanna
call the pound.
You know what they
do to dogs there.
I can't do that to Brian.
Don't whine, Fluke.
They'll hear you.
Something about
that dog...
Brian?
Yes, Mom?
You okay?
Yeah. I just need a Kleenex.
Good night, kiddo.
'Night, sweetheart.
Quiet, Fluke.
Come, Fluke.
Good boy.
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
JEFF: Listen, it came
off the streets. You don't know where it's from.
Could have rabies.
You know, it just wasn't
a good idea to let him in.
He's so gentle.
I don't know what came over him.
But he attacked me,
which means he could easily turn and attack either of you.
Maybe he was
trying to protect us.
Brian has become
very attached to that dog.
I haven't seen him
this happy in years.
What about you?
Are you okay?
I've been thinking
about Tom a lot lately.
Me, too.
CAROL: You
think he's happy? JEFF: I hope so.
I keep thinking if I'd only,
maybe if I'd... Hey.
If I'd only known
what he was going through.
Listen, I thought that
we agreed we weren't gonna do the "ifs" anymore.
I think that
we've got to try to...
Put this behind us.
I love you, Fluke.
Oh, hey, hey, hey!
Good morning, huh?
(COUGHS)
What's going on?
You're so warm.
Mom, I've gotta find...
No, I want you to go
back to bed.
I wanna take
your temperature.
But, Mom...
No, you're not going anywhere.
You have a fever.
Go on. Back to bed.
Morning, Rose.
You're early this morning, Mr. Newman.
How was the trip?
Work.
A lot of hard work,
Rose, as usual.
Well, I hear you're
actually taking a vacation this year.
Well, Carol
made me promise.
Now, is that likely
to turn into a honeymoon?
Well, if I had my way,
it would.
How is she?
Much better, thanks.
She still
misses him at times, but we all do.
Yes, we do.
Have a good one.
You, too.
Jane, can you please
bring me that file?
How'd it go?
Fine, thanks.
Is that it?
Yeah, this is it.
No, I mean for the night.
My family's waiting.
And your wife called.
You have dinner reservations at 8:30.
Listen, could you please
call her and tell her that I won't be able to make it.
Anything else?
No.
Thank you.
Just don't stay too late, Mr. Johnson.
Good night.
Good night.
Well, I see our brave
captain is still at the helm.
(PHONE RINGS)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
(PHONE RINGING)
CAROL:
Jeff, it's me.
But... You called
Tom's old office.
I did? Oh, God,
I'm so scared.
What's happened?
I can't find Brian.
The only thing I can think
is that he's out there
looking for that dog.
Jeff, he has a fever
and it is already
below freezing outside.
Listen, I'm leaving
right now, all right?
Don't worry. We'll find him.
Everything's gonna be fine.
Hurry.
Bye-bye.
(GROWLING)
I didn't care if I
was dying or not. I'd had my revenge.
Then suddenly it came to me
and I remembered what really happened.
Well, I see our brave
captain is still at the helm.
Somebody's gotta work.
Especially in
a business whose profits
are off 30% in the last year.
You have heard that
we're in a slowdown? Everybody's off.
So what's the cure?
Everybody go home at 5:00 every night?
It's 8:45.
So what do you think
of the prototype?
I asked them to set it up
for you this morning.
Did you notice?
I read your specs.
It's twice as efficient
as any braking system on the market.
But who can afford it?
It's twice as expensive.
It could save
thousands of lives.
Maybe, but it's
not cost-effective.
Not cost-effective!
I never thought I'd hear
something like that from you.
Tom, when we started
all of this,
we wanted to combine
our talents
to do something positive.
Make money by
helping people. Remember?
We were young then.
Everything's different now.
I don't believe that.
Neither do you.
It's so easy for you
to criticize my life, isn't it?
Do you have
any idea how many responsibilities I have?
No.
No, because you don't live
in the real world.
You're a dreamer.
You always have been.
Well, I'll take that
as a compliment.
We're not going
to throw money away on your dreams.
This company is in trouble
and somebody has to take responsibility.
No, our company
is not in trouble.
We're just going through
a slow period
and you think it's
the end of the world.
Tom, what the hell
is wrong with you?
You've got the kind of life
that any man would envy. I envy it.
You've got a great wife,
a beautiful kid...
Leave them out of it.
Like you do?
We're not going to
develop this brake system.
Well, as a partner
and head of design, I say we are.
As a partner and
head of finance, I say that we're not!
Not!
Hey, you've lost it, man.
I don't even recognize you anymore.
Come back here.
We're gonna settle this right now.
Come back here!
Pull over!
Pull over.
Are you crazy?
You're gonna get us both killed!
Let's talk about this, can we,
like a couple of adults.
It's useless trying to race
because you know I always win.
Tom!
Tom!
Oh, God. Tom?
Tom?
(SOBS)
Oh, God! Tom...
Oh, what had I done?
Everything had been my fault.
Jeff had always
been a true friend. Even after my death.
I had to help him.
Fluke.
Go find Brian. He's sick.
He can't stay out
in this cold.
Go find him.
BRIAN: Daddy?
Daddy?
I can't find him anywhere.
Maybe from where you are,
you can see Fluke.
Help me find Fluke, Daddy.
Please.
Please.
Mr. Grimes!
Hey, Mr. Grimes! Wait!
Mr. Grimes!
Wait!
I know where he is.
Fluke.
I knew you'd come.
(BARKING)
Brian!
Brian. Brian. It's Mommy.
Hi, Mom.
Come on.
Fluke kept me warm, Mom.
Okay. Let's go to the car.
Come on.
Okay, put your arms
around my neck.
Here you go.
Okay.
I was dreaming, Mom.
I was dreaming,
and Fluke spoke to me.
He told me not to cry.
He said he had to go away.
Okay, stay here
and keep warm.
I'll be right back.
Come, Fluke.
Come with us.
Come on, boy.
Let's go home now.
Come on, Fluke.
Of course, I had to go away.
I loved them too much
to get in the way of their happiness.
Jeff would be there now,
in a way that I hadn't been.
I didn't know how to live
as a man and I didn't know how to live as a dog.
Now I understand
that life is something to be cherished in every form.
So this is my story.
Perhaps I was made
to remember so that I could share it with you.
And perhaps there are
many out there like me,
hiding behind the eyes
of simple creatures.
Maybe even
someone close to you.
MALE VOICE:
Rise and shine, squirt.
Now, don't let 'em
catch you sleepin' here.
Rumbo?
Ha-ha! You didn't think you
could get rid of me that easy now, did you, squirt?
Rumbo,
I can't believe it's you.
You better believe it.
Come on over here.
Come here.
We've got a lot
to talk about.
But first,
let me tell you something about being a squirrel.
Rule number one...
MAN:
I ask you to listen with an open mind,
forgetting for a moment what
you believe and don't believe.
This is how it started.
On a night like this.
On a two-lane country road
not far from here.
Hey, Jeff!
Pull over!
(HONKS HORN)
(WHIMPERS)
(SIREN)
(SPEAKS CHINESE)
(BARKING)
It's that same mutt
causing all the racket.
He's done nothing
but bark since the other pups were adopted.
Tomorrow you can
put him to sleep.
For now, put him
in the can.
(WHIMPERS)
(MAKES KISSING NOISES)
Come here, boy.
Uncle Jerry's got a special treat for you today.
Stop that dog!
(DOG WHINING)
Now...
Now...
Now you're history!
(EXCLAIMS)
(HORN HONKS)
(SHRIEKING AND LAUGHING)
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
(HEAVY METAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(KISSING NOISES)
(KISSING NOISES)
Come here,
little fellow.
Come on. We'll keep
each other warm.
Come on.
Come on.
(CHUCKLES)
MAN: These two connecting
circles. They mean forever.
It's beautiful.
Will you be with me forever?
Yes, Tommy.
Forever.
(COUGHS)
"My fancies are fireflies.
"Specks of living light,
twinkling in the dark."
Poetry is food for the soul,
little puppy.
(SIGHS)
We've seen better days.
Oh, well. Here, let's
play a little game.
Now...
See, we have three
walnut shells.
One, two, three.
Three walnut shells.
And we put the little jewel
under one.
We move 'em around.
Move 'em around.
There. Where is it?
Where's the jewel?
Good puppy. Good puppy.
Okay. Here we go again.
Now, where is it? Where is it?
Good puppy.
Good puppy.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Good puppy. Good puppy!
He's such a smart little guy.
Thank you.
It was just a fluke.
He's my little fluke.
Yes!
Fluke by nature,
Fluke by name.
(COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS)
I... I don't feel
very well, Fluke.
I think I'll take
a nap before we go.
(BARKING)
MALE VOICE:
Rise and shine, squirt.
Don't let 'em
catch you sleeping here.
That old dogcatcher
gets up mighty early
lookin' for easy targets
just like you.
Did you run away,
or did they pull that old
"drive across the bridge
and dump the pup" trick?
You can talk?
Don't be goofy.
I'm a dog, pal.
But you're not barking.
What you're saying
to me are words.
It's a mental thing.
It's what I want you to know
and what you want
me to know.
That's all it is.
But... But...
Didn't you ever meet anyone
who could communicate?
No, never.
Well, now you have.
They call me Rumbo.
What about you?
Fluke.
Mmm-mmm.
I smell hunger
with a capital "H".
Whaddya say we get
something to eat?
What about Bella?
I'm afraid Bella
had to move on, my friend.
You won't be seeing her
anymore.
Hey, come on. It's chowtime.
Let's roll.
Rumbo, wait up.
I have to do something.
Whoa, what have we
got here?
Mmm-mmm-mmm.
That's not the way
we do it, squirt.
Now, check this out.
Three paws down, firmly,
while number four
reaches for the sky.
Oh.
Now that's class!
Rumbo, help! Help!
Hey, squirt, we're goin' to
eat and you're takin' a bath.
Get outta there. Come on.
Come on. You can do it.
Come on.
There.
You okay?
Yeah. I'm okay.
Well, that's one
way of gettin' rid of your fleas.
What's that...
What's that smell?
I mean, I love it. I love it.
Hey, hey! Be cool.
Knock it off.
Ow!
Come on back here.
Come on.
It's taken me years
to build this route
and I'm not gonna let
some rookie ruin it for me.
Now, you just sit there
and watch the master.
Hey, Rumbo.
What's goin' on?
What'll it be?
Coming right up, sir.
There you go.
Now, who is this?
Listen here, Rumbo,
you know I can't be feeding all your buddies.
Just let me
handle this.
Hey, Bert, how about something
for the pup?
I bet you want something
for the pup too, huh?
Ow!
Now, you two, out of here.
I got payin' customers to tend to.
Okay, now. Listen up.
You're gonna meet the boss,
but he don't have a lot
of patience with dogs,
so when he talks to you,
just wag your tail and go
into your puppy routine,
all right?
Okay.
You are gonna love this place,
kid. Lots of nice shade and soft places to lay.
It's the only place I know
you can chase car tires
and not worry
about gettin' run over.
(RUMBO CHUCKLES)
MAN: Uh-huh, yeah.
All righty. I'll have to call
you back, all right?
(MAN COUGHS)
Rumbo, where the hell
you been all night? Huh?
What do you have,
a sweetheart? What!
Just go to him.
He called me a girl.
People make mistakes.
Now forgive him and get over there and wag your tail.
What's he doing?
He's being affectionate.
Well, it hurts.
Well, love hurts.
What's this say?
"Fluke". What the hell
kinda name is that?
Ah, that's a nice dog.
(WHIMPERS)
RUMBO: Hey. Hey!
What's going on?
I guess I was dreaming.
You were what?
Uh, dreaming.
I was seeing
pictures inside my head.
Pictures ain't got
no business being inside your head.
Next time you just growl
and chase 'em away.
Rumbo, have you always
been a dog?
What you talkin' about?
What else could I have been?
I don't know. A human.
A two-legger? Me?
Rule number one:
stop askin' dumb questions.
It's just that...
No "buts," no "ifs," no "ands."
Stop talking all this
nonsense. It's sack time.
Good night.
Good night, Rumbo.
RUMBO: Oh, man!
This is too good to be true.
What are we gonna do, Rumbo?
Take a good look, squirt.
We done hit
the promised land.
Oh, holy smoke!
D'you think this'll be all right?
All right? The guy
walked away.
That's what I consider
formal invitation.
Everything smells so good.
Mmm-hmm.
Mmm-mmm! (CHUCKLES)
I knew I smelled pumpkin!
Hey!
BERT: Yeah, so I'm
sittin' there just waitin' for the light,
this woman bangs
into the back of my car.
$500 damage and
they raise my insurance rates.
Now you tell me if that
makes any sense.
(BARKING)
Fluke?
Fluke. Cool it.
(CUSTOMER COUGHING)
Don't mind that dog.
He's harmless. RUMBO: What's with you?
There's something about him.
Can't you smell it, Rumbo?
That'll be $1.85.
All right. Thank you.
Oops.
Sorry about that.
Hey! Hey!
Get off me!
Fluke, you cut that out.
That dog is vicious, mister.
He attacked me.
You can't keep a dog like that
in a public place. You hear what I said?
I heard you. Now go on, man.
You're making
the dogs nervous.
Go on, get outta here!
It's all right.
Everything's all right.
Shh, shh. It's all right.
It's all right. Quiet. It's okay.
Sorry, pooch. I guess
you're gonna have to find something else to read.
What's up?
You look like you
just saw a ghost.
I saw someone
I used to know.
An old friend?
I think... He's a murderer.
I hear they were your dogs.
My dogs never bit
anybody normal.
Well, that dog
ought to be put to sleep.
The dogs had their shots
and you ain't gonna die from that little scratch.
I could complain
to Animal Control. I could make a lot of trouble for you.
Mike...
All right?
Now get outta here.
RUMBO: Uh-oh.
I think it's time to split.
Hey! Hey, Rumbo! Rumbo!
Rumbo, get back here!
Come on, you guys.
Time for supper.
Daddy's back.
Hey! Hey, Rumbo! I see you.
You're gonna get yours.
Okay, Fluke.
You did your time.
(RINGING TONE)
WOMAN:
Hello?
Hello?
Hello? Is anybody there?
(LICKING)
Who's this?
What the hell...
Hey, Fluke!
Hey! Fluke!
(GROANS)
Oh, these dogs.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Hi. Who's calling?
You called, lady.
Who you lookin' for?
No, you called me.
Who is this?
I didn't call anybody.
The only other person in this office was Fluke,
and he couldn't have called
because he's a dog, lady.
Rumbo, I wasn't
always a dog. And neither were you.
Right! Last week
I was Snow White.
Well, how do you know
who Snow White is?
It's something you knew
in your past,
it's something
you read in a book.
That's ridiculous.
Don't you see? You can't face it.
You're lying to yourself.
I'm happy who I am.
But I'm not.
I lived in a house.
I had a family. I had a life once, Rumbo.
You got one now.
A damn good one. I'm gonna find them.
If you're gonna go chasing
after humans in your head, you're going alone.
And don't bother coming back!
Rumbo! Wait!
Get him in the truck.
There you go.
You're right. He's just the right size.
(MACHINE BEEPING)
(HORN HONKING)
Forever.
(BEEPING QUICKENS)
This is impossible.
What's going on,
Sylvester?
(ALARM BLARES)
Come on, squirt.
We gotta get outta here. Can you walk?
I think so.
Got it. Now let's roll.
Rumbo, I can't see.
Grab my tail.
Ow! Hey, easy with
the teeth, now.
Watch your step.
Here we go.
Blue skies ahead.
Shoot the dog.
I can't shoot the dog!
Maybe we should
stop here for a minute. They'll never find us here.
I think maybe I'll lay down
for a while.
How are your eyes?
A little better.
Rumbo, you're bleeding.
Listen to me, squirt.
You stay in these woods until your eyes heal.
What do you mean?
I'm staying with you.
I don't think
I can help you any more, squirt.
Rumbo,
why you talking like this? You're gonna be all right.
Forget it. There's nothing
you can do.
Come closer.
Look,
we've got to stay together. You and me, like always.
I can't make it
without you, Rumbo.
I had another dream.
My family's in danger.
Fluke, things aren't always
what they seem.
Rule number one:
there's no going back.
You can't be sorry about
what's been, squirt.
You got to be.
Please. I have to know.
Am I the only one?
You were a man once, too.
Weren't you, Rumbo?
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.
Rumbo, don't leave me.
Maybe we'll meet again,
squirt.
Next time around.
No.
Rumbo?
(SOBS) No.
Rumbo's words kept
ringing in my ears: "There's no going back."
But my family was in danger.
I had to go to them.
(BELL RINGING)
We're gonna be late.
Wait up.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
Let's go.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
Cool. Hey, boy.
GIRL: Oh, sweet puppy.
GIRL 2: Neat dog.
(ENGINE STARTS)
Move it, pooch.
(GASPS)
Get down. Get away.
Look at this!
Mom, he's not gonna bite us.
Get down!
Get away.
This dog is crazy.
Get down! Get away
from the car!
What is with this dog?
Brian, shut your door.
Shut it. Shut it.
CAROL: What's wrong with it?
I've never seen
a dog act like this.
Mom, the windows are up.
He can't do anything to us.
Let's go. We're going home.
My god, it scared me.
(FLUKE BARKING)
It's the dog from school.
No, no, Brian.
Don't open the door.
What's going on?
My god. How did he get here?
Uh, that's okay,
Libby, thanks.
Mom, we have to feed him.
He must have run all the way here.
Come away from the door.
Come on.
He must be thirsty.
Brian, we don't know anything about that dog.
Stubborn dog.
Brian, come and eat.
I'm not hungry.
CAROL: There's a big
juicy cheeseburger here with your name on it.
Come on and eat your supper.
I don't think I can eat
with that sad creature staring in at me.
He probably hasn't
eaten for days.
All right.
He can stay for just one meal,
then he's gone. Deal?
Deal.
Ah!
I told you, Mom. He's really nice.
Good boy.
(SNEEZES)
Bless you! I think
he likes us.
Do you think anybody
owns him?
Well, let's see
if he's got a tag here.
Here it is.
Oh, there's no address. It just says "Fluke".
Hi, Fluke.
Fluke.
Mom, I know we made
a deal and I respect it.
But can't we keep him...
Just for a little while?
Brian, why don't you
get up off the floor?
Just until we find
his owner?
You can't put him
on the street now.
I mean,
he could be hit by a car.
You are just like your father.
A con artist.
Your father used to brag
he could sell ice cubes to the Eskimos.
Well...
He can stay on one condition.
He has to have a bath, right now. He's filthy.
(GROANS)
Energize.
(IMITATES GUNFIRE)
Gotcha.
BRIAN: Gotcha.
Fluke, have you seen Data?
Hey.
My dad used
to do that.
(WHIMPERS)
Okay, Fluke, this is
your bed for the night.
I'll see you
in the morning.
(GASPS)
What are you doing here?
See you later, Fluke.
Come on, Brian. We're gonna be late.
What's the matter,
Fluke? Hmm?
What's the matter?
You're a sweet boy.
You're a very sweet dog.
Playing with Brian,
doing things that I never had time for when I was a man,
made me realize
how precious every moment is.
This was where I belonged.
Somehow, sooner or later,
I'd find a way to tell them who I really was.
(CLATTER)
Brian!
(GASPS)
Fluke...
Did you escape
from a circus, or what?
Tom looked so
silly in this hat.
Ready, Brian?
All right. Come on, Fluke! Let's go.
We're off to see the Wizard
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Because, because,
because, because, because
Because of
the wonderful things he does
We're...
off to see the Wizard
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Because, because,
because, because, because...
WOMAN ON TV:
I love you.
More than you know.
TOM:
She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
I would have given anything
to tell her
how much I loved her.
More than fields
I have planted with my hands.
I love you more
than morning prayers.
Shh, Fluke. Stop whining.
I'm trying to
watch the movie. It's okay, Fluke.
(VEHICLE APPROACHES)
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Come in. The door's open.
Hi, Jeff.
Hi.
No, Fluke! No! Jeff!
No. Fluke!
Fluke, no!
What are you gonna do to him?
Please, don't hurt him!
Open the door!
You all right?
Hello.
Give me Animal Control. Don't call them!
Brian, please! No, no,
we've got a dog that's going crazy on our front lawn.
Brian, honey,
go to your room. It'll be okay. Please, go.
Yes, please.
6241 Willow Drive.
I don't know
what got into him.
I don't know
why he's acting like this.
Well, something's
wrong with that dog.
Good evening.
What seems to be the problem, sir?
Well, my friend's kid
brought home some stray
that just went berserk.
It bit me.
It's a large, brown mutt.
He might still be
around here somewhere. I don't know.
OFFICER: We're not going
to find him out there. OFFICER #2: He's gone.
We'll call Animal
Control in the morning. Thanks for coming out.
If it happens again,
give us a call.
Well, there's
nothing more I can do.
Are you okay? I mean...
Yeah. It didn't break the skin.
Don't go yet.
Why don't you stay for a bit?
JEFF: They'll take him
to the pound.
CAROL: I don't wanna
call the pound.
You know what they
do to dogs there.
I can't do that to Brian.
Don't whine, Fluke.
They'll hear you.
Something about
that dog...
Brian?
Yes, Mom?
You okay?
Yeah. I just need a Kleenex.
Good night, kiddo.
'Night, sweetheart.
Quiet, Fluke.
Come, Fluke.
Good boy.
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
JEFF: Listen, it came
off the streets. You don't know where it's from.
Could have rabies.
You know, it just wasn't
a good idea to let him in.
He's so gentle.
I don't know what came over him.
But he attacked me,
which means he could easily turn and attack either of you.
Maybe he was
trying to protect us.
Brian has become
very attached to that dog.
I haven't seen him
this happy in years.
What about you?
Are you okay?
I've been thinking
about Tom a lot lately.
Me, too.
CAROL: You
think he's happy? JEFF: I hope so.
I keep thinking if I'd only,
maybe if I'd... Hey.
If I'd only known
what he was going through.
Listen, I thought that
we agreed we weren't gonna do the "ifs" anymore.
I think that
we've got to try to...
Put this behind us.
I love you, Fluke.
Oh, hey, hey, hey!
Good morning, huh?
(COUGHS)
What's going on?
You're so warm.
Mom, I've gotta find...
No, I want you to go
back to bed.
I wanna take
your temperature.
But, Mom...
No, you're not going anywhere.
You have a fever.
Go on. Back to bed.
Morning, Rose.
You're early this morning, Mr. Newman.
How was the trip?
Work.
A lot of hard work,
Rose, as usual.
Well, I hear you're
actually taking a vacation this year.
Well, Carol
made me promise.
Now, is that likely
to turn into a honeymoon?
Well, if I had my way,
it would.
How is she?
Much better, thanks.
She still
misses him at times, but we all do.
Yes, we do.
Have a good one.
You, too.
Jane, can you please
bring me that file?
How'd it go?
Fine, thanks.
Is that it?
Yeah, this is it.
No, I mean for the night.
My family's waiting.
And your wife called.
You have dinner reservations at 8:30.
Listen, could you please
call her and tell her that I won't be able to make it.
Anything else?
No.
Thank you.
Just don't stay too late, Mr. Johnson.
Good night.
Good night.
Well, I see our brave
captain is still at the helm.
(PHONE RINGS)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
(PHONE RINGING)
CAROL:
Jeff, it's me.
But... You called
Tom's old office.
I did? Oh, God,
I'm so scared.
What's happened?
I can't find Brian.
The only thing I can think
is that he's out there
looking for that dog.
Jeff, he has a fever
and it is already
below freezing outside.
Listen, I'm leaving
right now, all right?
Don't worry. We'll find him.
Everything's gonna be fine.
Hurry.
Bye-bye.
(GROWLING)
I didn't care if I
was dying or not. I'd had my revenge.
Then suddenly it came to me
and I remembered what really happened.
Well, I see our brave
captain is still at the helm.
Somebody's gotta work.
Especially in
a business whose profits
are off 30% in the last year.
You have heard that
we're in a slowdown? Everybody's off.
So what's the cure?
Everybody go home at 5:00 every night?
It's 8:45.
So what do you think
of the prototype?
I asked them to set it up
for you this morning.
Did you notice?
I read your specs.
It's twice as efficient
as any braking system on the market.
But who can afford it?
It's twice as expensive.
It could save
thousands of lives.
Maybe, but it's
not cost-effective.
Not cost-effective!
I never thought I'd hear
something like that from you.
Tom, when we started
all of this,
we wanted to combine
our talents
to do something positive.
Make money by
helping people. Remember?
We were young then.
Everything's different now.
I don't believe that.
Neither do you.
It's so easy for you
to criticize my life, isn't it?
Do you have
any idea how many responsibilities I have?
No.
No, because you don't live
in the real world.
You're a dreamer.
You always have been.
Well, I'll take that
as a compliment.
We're not going
to throw money away on your dreams.
This company is in trouble
and somebody has to take responsibility.
No, our company
is not in trouble.
We're just going through
a slow period
and you think it's
the end of the world.
Tom, what the hell
is wrong with you?
You've got the kind of life
that any man would envy. I envy it.
You've got a great wife,
a beautiful kid...
Leave them out of it.
Like you do?
We're not going to
develop this brake system.
Well, as a partner
and head of design, I say we are.
As a partner and
head of finance, I say that we're not!
Not!
Hey, you've lost it, man.
I don't even recognize you anymore.
Come back here.
We're gonna settle this right now.
Come back here!
Pull over!
Pull over.
Are you crazy?
You're gonna get us both killed!
Let's talk about this, can we,
like a couple of adults.
It's useless trying to race
because you know I always win.
Tom!
Tom!
Oh, God. Tom?
Tom?
(SOBS)
Oh, God! Tom...
Oh, what had I done?
Everything had been my fault.
Jeff had always
been a true friend. Even after my death.
I had to help him.
Fluke.
Go find Brian. He's sick.
He can't stay out
in this cold.
Go find him.
BRIAN: Daddy?
Daddy?
I can't find him anywhere.
Maybe from where you are,
you can see Fluke.
Help me find Fluke, Daddy.
Please.
Please.
Mr. Grimes!
Hey, Mr. Grimes! Wait!
Mr. Grimes!
Wait!
I know where he is.
Fluke.
I knew you'd come.
(BARKING)
Brian!
Brian. Brian. It's Mommy.
Hi, Mom.
Come on.
Fluke kept me warm, Mom.
Okay. Let's go to the car.
Come on.
Okay, put your arms
around my neck.
Here you go.
Okay.
I was dreaming, Mom.
I was dreaming,
and Fluke spoke to me.
He told me not to cry.
He said he had to go away.
Okay, stay here
and keep warm.
I'll be right back.
Come, Fluke.
Come with us.
Come on, boy.
Let's go home now.
Come on, Fluke.
Of course, I had to go away.
I loved them too much
to get in the way of their happiness.
Jeff would be there now,
in a way that I hadn't been.
I didn't know how to live
as a man and I didn't know how to live as a dog.
Now I understand
that life is something to be cherished in every form.
So this is my story.
Perhaps I was made
to remember so that I could share it with you.
And perhaps there are
many out there like me,
hiding behind the eyes
of simple creatures.
Maybe even
someone close to you.
MALE VOICE:
Rise and shine, squirt.
Now, don't let 'em
catch you sleepin' here.
Rumbo?
Ha-ha! You didn't think you
could get rid of me that easy now, did you, squirt?
Rumbo,
I can't believe it's you.
You better believe it.
Come on over here.
Come here.
We've got a lot
to talk about.
But first,
let me tell you something about being a squirrel.
Rule number one...