Accidental Friendship

Name: Accidental Friendship
Genre: Big City, Cute Kid, Colleagues/Coworkers
Released: 2008-01-01
Duration: 1 h 25 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Chandra Wilson, Kathleen Munroe, Gabriel Hogan, Alison Sealy-Smith, Ben Vereen

6.6/10 · 428 ratings20081h 25mWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

A rough history leads Yvonne homeless with her two pets as her only friends.

Themes:The integrity of the badge Truth vs. Self-Preservation Systemic corruption The weight of a tragic mistake

How unusual is it?

Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.

Who’s in it

Lead

Chandra Wilson

as Yvonne

Lead

Kathleen Munroe

as Tami Baumann

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Don McBrearty

Written by

Anna Sandor

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

The film is a gritty 1970s police procedural (Kojak) being presented as a 2008 Hallmark movie
The plot centers on the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy
The 'hero' cop is actually a corrupt antagonist who plants evidence
Total absence of traditional Hallmark tropes like romance, baking, or small-town charm

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 15 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

The film begins with a tragic incident on a New York City rooftop where Officer Rick Daly fires his weapon, killing 10-year-old Arthur Strolnik. Daly and his partner, Nemo, claim they were chasing a suspect who had just murdered a man named Conway. Daly insists the suspect fired at him twice, forcing him to return fire in self-defense. Lieutenant Theo Kojak is assigned to the case, immediately facing pressure from Inspector Nicola and Captain Nolan, who are concerned about civil rights groups and the department's public image. While a Grand Jury eventually clears Daly of justifiable homicide based on a 'Saturday Night Special' found at the scene, Kojak remains skeptical. He tasks his team, Crocker and Stavros, with digging deeper into the origins of the recovered gun. Their investigation leads them to a fence named Flossie Desmond and eventually to the history of a deceased criminal named Frank Lucas. Kojak discovers that Daly was the arresting officer for Lucas months prior and had illegally kept Lucas's gun instead of turning it into evidence. Meanwhile, the actual suspect from the night of the shooting, Marty Vaughn, is apprehended. Vaughn reveals that while he was on the roof, he was unarmed and never fired at Daly. In a climactic confrontation on the same rooftop, Kojak presents the evidence to Daly. Broken, Daly confesses that he panicked and shot at a shadow, only realizing it was a child after the fact. He admitted to planting the 'drop piece' to save his career and his life as a 'police freak.' The film concludes with Kojak stripping the disgraced officer of his pride, emphasizing that the cover-up disgraced every person wearing the badge.

Beat by beat

Opening
Officer Rick Daly shoots and kills 10-year-old Arthur Strolnik on a rooftop, claiming self-defense against an armed fugitive.
Midpoint
A Grand Jury clears Daly of the shooting, but Kojak discovers the 'Saturday Night Special' found on the roof was likely planted.
Investigation
Crocker traces the planted gun to Frank Lucas, a criminal previously arrested by Daly who had a history of carrying that specific weapon.
Investigation
Kojak locates Marty Vaughn, the actual man on the roof, who confirms he was unarmed and that Daly fired blindly into the dark.
Climax
Kojak confronts Daly on the rooftop, forcing a confession regarding the accidental shooting and the subsequent planting of evidence.
Resolution
Daly is exposed as a corrupt officer, and Kojak reflects on the tragedy of a cop who valued his career over the truth.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

It's the only Hallmark movie in the catalog where the lead is homeless.

Peak comfort viewing

It scores just 2/10 on our weirdness scale — about as by-the-book cozy as Hallmark gets.

The backstory

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.

From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Higher-rated than 65% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Accidental Friendship belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Hallmark Big City MoviesA big-city backdrop.

BINGOA misunderstanding nearly ruins everythingA quiet moment under string lightsA child is caught in the crossfireA charming local cafe or dinerA grand jury reviews the shootingA lieutenant is assigned the shooting caseThe town pulls together for one of its ownA cosy interior full of warm lightingA warm hug that lingersA musical number or live performanceSomeone’s guard finally comes downA first impression that turns out completely wrong★The leads laugh at the same momentPlans get derailed by the weatherA cup of cocoa, coffee or ciderThe lead works as a police officerA wise elder dispenses adviceA best friend who has all the answersA toast at a celebrationA meaningful look held a beat too longCivil rights groups pressure the policeA love triangleA classic Hallmark meet-cuteBrass worry about the department image

Hallmark Bingo

Your Accidental Friendship card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“All I can promise you is the truth, whatever it is.”
— Theo KojakKojak speaking to the grieving mother of the boy who was shot.
“You're a man of great pride. It's my neck. Ear to ear.”
— Inspector NicolaDiscussing the political fallout of the police shooting.
“Nothing was gonna bring that kid back. Maybe it could save me, huh?”
— Rick DalyDaly's final confession about why he planted the gun.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Theo Kojak
Lead
Police Lieutenant
cynicaljusttenaciousuncompromising
Rick Daly
Antagonist
Police Officer
Subordinate under investigation
ambitiouspanickeddishonestguilt-ridden
Crocker
Supporting
Detective
Partner/Junior officer
loyaldiligenthard-working
Marty Vaughn
Supporting
Criminal
Witness to the crime
evasiveobservant

Questions people ask about Accidental Friendship

Where can I watch Accidental Friendship?

Accidental Friendship is available via Howdy Amazon Channel, The Roku Channel, and Fawesome. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Accidental Friendship?

Accidental Friendship runs about 1 hour and 25 minutes, and was released in 2008.

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