Ann Lee reflects on sharing her name with a film character

Ann Lee writes that the musical film The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold, has changed how her name appears online and prompted amused and awkward reactions; she attended a preview screening and a Q&A with the film's cast and director.

The messages began more than a year ago when friends alerted the author to news of a new musical titled The Testament of Ann Lee. The film is a biopic about an 18th-century Shaker leader, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold. The author, who shares the name Ann Lee, describes amused texts, mispronunciations and a sense that searches for her name now return pages about the film. She went to a preview screening and a Q&A with Seyfried and Fastvold. Notable details: - The film is titled The Testament of Ann Lee and presents a musical take on the life of an 18th-century Shaker leader. - Amanda Seyfried stars in the title role. Mona Fastvold directed and co-wrote the script with Brady Corbet. - Composer Daniel Blumberg contributed songs that rework Shaker hymns for the film's musical sequences. - The author attended a preview screening followed by a Q&A with Seyfried and Fastvold. - The author reports that online searches for her name are now dominated by coverage of the film. - The film depicts Mother Ann's commitment to celibacy and the ecstatic dance practices of her followers. Summary: The author says the film has shifted how her name is represented publicly and prompted personal reflections about identity and recognition. Undetermined at this time.