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Brush with Fate

Brush with Fate

A mystery hidden for generations. Now the truth will finally be revealed.

TV movie2003100 minMidcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Director
Brent Shields
Starring
Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Thomas Gibson, Phyllida Law

A mystery hidden for generations. Now the truth will finally be revealed.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Brush with Fate?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Brush with Fate streaming on Hallmark+ via Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Brush with Fate?

Brush with Fate earns 2 badges, led by Nonlinear and Award Nominee.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Brush with Fate worth watching?

Brush with Fate's Midcredits score is the 48th percentile of all films, from 588 ratings across 3 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

48th percentile

Better received than 48% of films

46th percentile among Drama46th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

41st percentile among Drama43rd percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

50th percentile among Drama49th percentile among 2000s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

35th percentile

588 ratings across platforms

36th percentile among Drama27th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film traces the history of a lost Vermeer painting backward through centuries of owners, anchored by Glenn Close's performance.

Fans praised

  • Glenn Close's slightly unhinged performance as Cornelia
  • original premise of tracing a lost Vermeer through centuries
  • strong production values and location shooting in the Netherlands

Detractors panned

  • uninvolving soap-opera stories that fail to build empathy
  • Glenn Close gets top billing but has very limited screen time
  • cardboard characters and uniformly weak acting outside Close

What stands out

Cinematography70

gorgeous Dutch locations, windmills, and period sets

ActingDivisive65

Glenn Close praised as eccentric revelation but limited screen time; other actors called bad or wooden

OriginalityDivisive60

novel premise of a lost Vermeer's history but compared to The Red Violin

Plot and storyDivisive50

ambitious backward structure but disjointed and confusing

CharactersDivisive40

cardboard, underdeveloped, relying on clichés from Gothic novels

Emotional impactDivisive40

some touching moments but overall fails to generate empathy

Watch experience

What is Brush with Fate like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholicTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of filmsWarm
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Chaptered · 1% of films: Told in titled chapters or clearly separate parts.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and sincerely, a slow, contemplative drama that treats each owner's story with quiet dignity despite its disturbing moments.
The rideThe mood shifts between reflective passages and intense dramatic moments, with the most disturbing events occurring in the later historical chapters.
StructureThe history is told backwards through flashbacks from the painting's current owner to its origin, framed by a professor recounting it to a colleague, with each owner's chapter clearly delineated.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayIt lingers as a meditation on art, legacy and the price of love for a painting, with the story's more disturbing moments staying with the viewer long after.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film is driven by the backward-told question of the lost Vermeer's true origin and who the girl in it was, each chapter peeling back another layer of the painting's history. The fit is loose because the structure is an episodic chain of owners' stories rather than a single puzzle the audience solves.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4% (this title)
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsLegacy · 4% of filmsMemory · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe painting serves as a vessel for each owner's identity and legacy, linking personal histories across time.
StanceThe film examines how art becomes entangled with personal and familial identity, questioning what ownership and legacy truly mean.

The world

Early modernRuralDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Lawrence Shragge
SettingSeveral historical periods in the Netherlands, from the 17th-century village to the German occupation of the 20th century.
MusicThe score likely underscores the emotional weight of each historical vignette, though specific details are not documented.

Cast and crew

Who is in Brush with Fate?

Cast

Ellen Burstyn
as Rika
Glenn Close
as Cornelia Engelbrecht
Thomas Gibson
as Richard
Phyllida Law
as Maria
Kelly Macdonald
as Aletta Pieters
Patrick Bergin
as Headmaster
Kieran Bew
as Adrian Kuypers
Betty Schuurman
as Digna
Jan Decleir
as Old Laurens
Thekla Reuten
as Saskia

Crew

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What are movies like Brush with Fate?

Movies like Brush with Fate include Loving Vincent (2017), The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) and The Wild Child (1970). Of the 5 closest matches, most are puzzle films, and most are films set in the early modern era.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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