THE ADDICTION OF HOPE – Updated 3.20.26 Review & Q&A

Actress Anne-Marie Johnson, best known for her roles as Lynn Williams on the crime drama “Hill Street Blues”, Aileen Lewis on the sitcom “Double Trouble”, Raj’s wife on “What’s Happening Now!”, and Althea Tibbs on the crime drama “In the Heat of the Night” — has produced and starred in a new film, “The Addiction of Hope”, alongside fellow veteran actress Harley Jane Kozak, best known for films “Parenthood” (1989) and “Arachnophobia” (1990), as well as her role as Annabelle Sims Reardon on Guiding Light.

The writer/director of “The Addiction of Hope” is Anne-Marie’s husband, Martin A. Gottlieb, who also plays her love interest in the film.

The movie follows an aging actress, Jo (Johnson), at a crossroads in life. Acting roles have nearly dried up, and she’s left wondering what she has to show for her decades in Hollywood other than a modest, comfortable home. Adopted as a child, Jo maintains occasional contact with her sister Lynnie (Kozak), who has built a bustling family life with two sons and a granddaughter. But the sisters have never been especially close. Their late mother had very different relationships with each of them, and that emotional divide still lingers. Still, when a termite infestation forces Jo to vacate her home for a few days, she heads to stay with Lynnie and her family (by the sea, gorgeous b-roll shots) only to discover her sister has just received a devastating cancer diagnosis.

The film then shifts into a quiet meditation on sisterhood, regret, and the fragile ways people try to reconnect when time suddenly feels short. Johnson and Kozak play beautifully off one another, capturing the awkwardness and tenderness of siblings who share history but not necessarily intimacy. Their scenes together carry the emotional weight of the film, moving between prickly honesty and moments of unexpected warmth. Gottlieb’s direction favors intimate conversations over melodrama, letting the performances breathe even when the pacing occasionally drifts.

Where The Addiction of Hope resonates most is in its reflection on aging — particularly for women in Hollywood — and the uneasy question of legacy. Jo’s stalled career mirrors Lynnie’s confrontation with mortality, each woman forced to reckon with what remains unfinished in her life. The title hints at the film’s central idea: that hope itself can be both sustaining and dangerous, something we cling to even when reality demands harder truths.

Modest in scale but sincere in its intentions, “The Addiction of Hope” ultimately feels like a character piece built on affection for its actors. Johnson proves a compelling lead, grounding the film with a weary charm that suggests both resilience and vulnerability. There are places where the editing and story could be tighter, but its heartfelt performances and reflective tone make it a thoughtful portrait of two women learning how to truly show up for each other.

This Q&A is from a One Night Only screening of the film in Philly. Moderated by Philly’s Own Classix 107.9 Radio Host Mannwell Glenn.

Click Image for Video of Post-Screening Q&A

ORIGINAL POST:

The Addiction of Hope is on an East coast 4 city tour before returning West to screen in Oregon and finally California for what will be the last chance to see the film in theaters. ONE NIGHT ONLY IN PHILLY!

The film stars Harley Jane Kozak, Erika Alexander, Shari Belafonte, Clancy Brown, Alan Rosenberg, and Anne-Marie Johnson as “Jo Stock”. The screening will be followed by a brief Q&A with stars of the film and the writer/director.

THE ADDICTION OF HOPE is about an aging African American actress, Jo Stock, living off her past success, is forced to confront the importance of family versus fame when her sister, Lynnie, becomes seriously ill, pushing Jo to reconsider the choices she’s made, and find the courage to change her life.