''Accidental Friendship'' is a 2008

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original film directed by Don McBrearty, and written by Anna Sandor based on a true story. It stars Chandra Wilson and

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

Plot

Homeless woman Yvonne Caldwell ( Chandra Wilson) 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, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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

LAPD The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

officer Tami Baumann (

Kathleen Munroe Kathleen Munroe (born April 9, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Munroe was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and currently resides in Los Angeles. She attended high school at Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton, and studied cinema at the University of T ...

), 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

* Chandra Wilson as Yvonne Caldwell *

as Tami Baumann *

as Wesley "Wes" Smith * Gabriel Hogan as Kevin Brawner *

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

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 the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. 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 definition ...

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 Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation hospital, hospitals devoted to the rehabilitation of patients w ...

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

Chandra Wilson 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. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

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