''Accidental Friendship'' is a 2008

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...

original film directed by

Don McBrearty Don McBrearty is a Canadians, Canadian film director. Career In 2003 McBrearty directed the made for television drama film ''Sex and the Single Mom''. It tells the story of Jess Gradwell (Gail O'Grady), a single and overly concerned mother of a 1 ...

, and written by

Anna Sandor Anna Sandor is a Hungarian-born Canadian/American film and television screenwriter.Tom McMahon, "A marriage made for TV". ''Windsor Star'', December 20, 1986. Sandor began her career as an actress, becoming a writer in her mid-twenties. Her films ...

based on a true story. It stars

Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Emmy ...

and

Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a To ...

Plot

Homeless woman Yvonne Caldwell (

) is a woman with good reason to be bitter: she has lost everything except her two beloved dogs, Bebe and Man-Man. With her one friend, Wes (

), Caldwell lives the daily struggle of being

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

until a chance encounter caused by her dogs leads to a friendship with

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

officer Tami Baumann (

Kathleen Munroe Kathleen Munroe (born April 9, 1982) is a Canadian actress and wig maker. Munroe was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and currently resides in Los Angeles. She studied cinema at the University of Toronto. She won the 2010 ACTRA Award for Outstanding F ...

), and hope for a better life begins in earnest for Yvonne. Friendship between the two women seemed improbable, but their friendship provided a base of support and respect for Yvonne and Tami for more than five years.

Cast

as Yvonne Caldwell *

as Tami Baumann *

as Wesley "Wes" Smith *

Gabriel Hogan Gabriel Hogan (born 17 May 1973) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is best known for his continuing role on the hit cable television firefighter comedy series ''Tacoma FD'', CBC/Up TV/Netflix’s ''Heartland'' and the drama ''Condor''. ...

as Kevin Brawner *

Alison Sealy-Smith Alison Sealy-Smith (born 1959) is a Barbados-born Canadian actress best known for her role as Storm in various Marvel animated TV series. Early life and education Sealy-Smith was born in Bridgetown, Barbados and raised in Toronto. She attended ...

as Tami's colleague and friend

True story

In real life, Yvonne Caldwell met Officer Tami Baumann, an officer at

’s 77th Street Division, in 2003. It was Yvonne’s three dogs that caught Tami’s attention, and the overwhelming care she took of the strays. Tami, who was well known in the department for her love of animals – and who had been finding homes for strays since she was a child – used this connection to form a bond with Yvonne. Over time, Yvonne began to open up to Tami, relating her gradual fall into poverty, a tale of struggling with abuse and abandonment which led to a long battle with

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

. By mid-2001, her prized

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

was her home and only possession, but that too was taken from her when she couldn’t afford the fees to release it from impound after it was stolen. Fortunately, Tami was eventually able to convince Yvonne to enter rehab and embark on a program designed to save her life.

Critical reception

The film was generally well-received by critics. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' stated that the director "doesn't stoop to the usual gimmicks," and called the script "thoughtful." They also thought the story was "simple" and "meaningful," and said it was "more of a character study than a message movie." Marilyn Moss of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' gave it a milder review, stating that the film "stretches it a bit in the sentimental category," but still "holds a grip without too much effort," yet at the same time "there is hardly anything to set a spark." She also said, "When the corn doesn't get in the way of the story, this movie is believable and affecting." Chandra Wilson was praised for her portrayal as a "bitter"; Moss stated that "she easily takes hold of the frame whenever she's in it."

Award and honors

was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her performance.

References

External links

''Accidental Friendship''
on

's website *{{IMDb title, 1242861 2008 television films 2008 films 2008 drama films Hallmark Channel original films American films based on actual events Films about homelessness Films about poverty in the United States Films set in Los Angeles American drama television films Films directed by Don McBrearty 2000s American films 2000s English-language films English-language drama films