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    Brush with Fate

    • TV Movie
    • 20032003
    • PGPG
    • 1h 40min
    IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    405
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • IMDbPro
    Brush with Fate (2003)
    Drama

    The story of a painting as it moves from owner to owner through the centuries.The story of a painting as it moves from owner to owner through the centuries.The story of a painting as it moves from owner to owner through the centuries.

    IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    405
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Brent Shields
    • Writers
      • Susan Vreeland(novel)
      • Richard Russo(teleplay)
    • Stars
      • Ellen Burstyn
      • Glenn Close
      • Thomas Gibson
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Brent Shields
    • Writers
      • Susan Vreeland(novel)
      • Richard Russo(teleplay)
    • Stars
      • Ellen Burstyn
      • Glenn Close
      • Thomas Gibson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos5

    Glenn Close and Thomas Gibson in Brush with Fate (2003)
    Glenn Close and Thomas Gibson in Brush with Fate (2003)
    Glenn Close and Ariel Castillo in Brush with Fate (2003)
    Brush With Fate, 2002. The Netherlands.

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ellen Burstyn
    Ellen Burstyn
    • Rikaas Rika
    Glenn Close
    Glenn Close
    • Cornelia Engelbrechtas Cornelia Engelbrecht
    Thomas Gibson
    Thomas Gibson
    • Richardas Richard
    Phyllida Law
    Phyllida Law
    • Mariaas Maria
    Kelly Macdonald
    Kelly Macdonald
    • Aletta Pietersas Aletta Pieters
    Patrick Bergin
    Patrick Bergin
    • Headmasteras Headmaster
    Kieran Bew
    Kieran Bew
    • Adrian Kuypersas Adrian Kuypers
    Betty Schuurman
    • Dignaas Digna
    Jan Decleir
    Jan Decleir
    • Old Laurensas Old Laurens
    Thekla Reuten
    Thekla Reuten
    • Saskiaas Saskia
    Roef Ragas
    Roef Ragas
    • Stijnas Stijn
    Laurien Van den Broeck
    • Magdalena Vermeeras Magdalena Vermeer
    • (as Laurien Van Den Broeck)
    Daniël Boissevain
    • Solas Sol
    • (as Daniel Boissevain)
    Paul Muller
    Paul Muller
    • Old Karl Engelbrechtas Old Karl Engelbrecht
    Carly Wijs
    Carly Wijs
    • Faculty Womanas Faculty Woman
    Horace Cohen
    Horace Cohen
    • Faculty Manas Faculty Man
    Jenne Decleir
    Jenne Decleir
    • Young Laurensas Young Laurens
    Katja Herbers
    Katja Herbers
    • Tannekeas Tanneke
    • (as Katja Mira Herders)
    • Director
      • Brent Shields
    • Writers
      • Susan Vreeland(novel)
      • Richard Russo(teleplay)
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Storyline

    Edit
    The story of a painting as it moves from owner to owner through the centuries.
    1880s1800smerchant1710s1700s33 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • A mystery hidden for generations. Now the truth will finally be revealed.
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

    User reviews16

    Review
    Top review
    Probably well done, but it didn't appeal much to me
    Thomas Gibson is a new art teacher at a high school. Glenn Close is good as usual as a history teacher who invites Gibson to see a painting of a young girl at a table, which she believes to be a genuine Vermeer, and she tells him stories, which we see as flashbacks about the people who owned the painting in the past. All of the stories take place in Holland, and for the most part each story takes place earlier than the one preceding it. I have no idea what happened in the first story, from the late 1800s, except that it seemed to involve a romance and may have had flashbacks within flashbacks. At this point I was not enjoying the movie. Another story took place in the early 1700s when a baby was abandoned during a flood after a dike break. The painting accompanied the baby and was intended to be sold for the baby's expenses.

    Things got a little more interesting in the next story, which had some of the movie's few humorous moments. A man left a university to take a job working with the machinery used for the dikes. He got interested in a servant girl who was punished by being put in stocks, and their romance was not seen as a good idea. We find out in this story where the baby came from.

    The next story was very brief, but a woman, who was unsuccessful in bidding for the painting at an auction, seemed to know more about the painting than the auctioneer. The next story revealed how Vermeer came to paint the girl's picture, and this was somewhat more interesting than the rest of the movie. At this point we have seen relatively little of Gibson and Close, but it appears things will get better as they return. Gibson doubts the painting's authenticity, so one more story about Jews in 1942 is necessary.

    This was part of the 'Hallmark Hall of Fame' series, and I usually enjoy these movies, but I found this one to be a disappointment. The best things about the movie were probably the beautiful Dutch houses in the city, and the camera shots of windmills. But this was just not for me. Maybe others would enjoy it.
    helpful•5
    3
    • vchimpanzee
    • Feb 3, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 2, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hallmark Hall of Fame: Brush with Fate (#52.2)
    • Filming locations
      • Loenen aan de Vecht, Loenen, Utrecht, Netherlands
    • Production company
      • Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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