''Brush with Fate'' is a television film debuted on February 2, 2003, on CBS. It followed the life of an imaginary painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer as it passes through the hands of various people. The film was based on '' Girl In Hyacinth Blue'', the 1999 novel by author

Susan Vreeland Susan Joyce Vreeland (January 20, 1946 – August 23, 2017) was an American author. Several of her books deal with the relationship between art and fiction. ''The Passion of Artemisia'' is a fictionalised investigation of some aspects of the li ...

, and starred

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

and Ellen Burstyn. The imaginary painting ''Girl in Hyacinth Blue'', the principal object in this film, is painted exactly in Vermeer's painting technique by the American master painter Jonathan Janson, author and webmaster of the world-known website about the life and work of Johannes Vermeer "Essential Vermeer".

Plot

Richard is a new art teacher at a high school. Cornelia Englebrecht (played by Glenn Close) is a history teacher who invites Richard to see a painting of a young girl at a table, which she believes to be a genuine Vermeer, where she tells him stories, which are portrayed as flashbacks about the people who owned the painting in the past. All of the stories take place in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and the flashbacks happen mostly before the one preceding it. The first story, from the late 1800s, involved a romance and had flashbacks within flashbacks. 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. In the next story, a man left a

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

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. It is revealed in this story where the baby came from. The next story was very brief, and in it, 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. Finally, Cornelia tells us how she came in possession of the painting. Tagline: "A mystery hidden for generations. Now the truth will finally be revealed."

Cast

* Ellen Burstyn – Rika *

– Cornelia Englebrecht * Thomas Gibson – Richard * Phyllida Law – Maria * Kelly Macdonald – Aletta * Ger Apeldoorn – Man in Black * Patrick Bergin * Kieran Bew – Adrian *

Daniël Boissevain Daniël Boissevain (born 29 June 1969) is a Dutch actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1992. Selected filmography References External links * 1969 births Living people Dutch male actors Dutch male film actors Male a ...

– Sol *

Horace Cohen Horace Joshua Cohen (born 15 October 1971) is an American-Dutch actor and comedian. Career Film Cohen made his debut at age 15 as Henkie in the 1986 film ''Flodder'' directed by Dick Maas. This role was played by other actors in sequels a ...

– Faculty Man *

Jenne Decleir Jenne can refer to: *Djenné, a city of Mali *Jenne, Lazio, a city and comune in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy People with the given name *Jenne Langhout (1918–2010), Dutch field hockey player *Jenne Lennon (), American singer People wit ...

– Young Laurens *

Katja Herbers Katja Mira Herbers (born 19 October 1980) is a Dutch actress. She is best known for portraying Dr. Helen Prins on the WGN America drama series ''Manhattan'' (2014–2015), Emily Grace in the HBO science fiction drama series ''Westworld'' (2018� ...

– Tanneke *

Marcel Jonker Marcel may refer to: People * Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel * Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder * Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian ...

– Willem * Hugo Konings – Young Man *

Caro Lenssen Caro may refer to: Places * Caro, Michigan, United States * Caro, Morbihan, France * Çaro, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France Other uses * Caro (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Caro (surname), including a list of peo ...

– Joanna *

Roef Ragas Rudolphus Henricus Cornelis "Roef" Ragas (25 May 1965 – 30 August 2007) was a Dutch actor from Harderwijk. He was the older brother of Bastiaan and Jeroen Ragas. From 1984 to 1990 Ragas studied Dutch at the University of Amsterdam. He graduate ...

– Stijn *

Thekla Reuten Thekla Simona Gelsomina Reuten (born 16 September 1975) is a Dutch actress. Life and career Reuten was born in Bussum, Netherlands, the daughter of a Dutch father, Joost Reuten, and an Italian mother, who was born in Benabbio near Bagni di Lucc ...

– Saskia * Erik van Beekum – Angry dike worker *

Erwan van Buuren Erwan () is a masculine Breton given name, sometimes spelled ''Erwann''. Its francization is the French given name Yves. Etymology From Old Breton given name . It might thus be formed of Proto-Brythonic words "well, good" and "talent, natura ...

– Fritz * Laurien Van den Broeck – Magdalena *

Carly Wijs Carly is a given name, a feminine form of Carl. Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 47. It is also a pet form of given names such as Carla and Caroline. Variant different spellings include Carley, Carlie, Carlee, Carleigh and Carli, as well as K ...

– Faculty Woman

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0327775, title=Brush with Fate 2003 television films 2003 films Television shows based on American novels CBS network films Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes