Accidental Friendship is a 2008 Hallmark Channel original film directed by Don McBrearty, and written by Anna Sandor based on a true story. It stars Chandra Wilson and Ben Vereen.
Synopsis
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 (Ben Vereen), Caldwell lives the daily struggle of being homeless in Los Angeles until a chance encounter caused by her dogs leads to a friendship with LAPD officer Tami Baumann (Kathleen Munroe), 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.
True story
In real life, Yvonne Caldwell met Officer Tami Baumann, an officer at LAPD’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. By mid-2001, her prized SUV 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.
