By Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Dec 24 (Reuters) – Amanda Seyfried acknowledges she knew little about Ann Lee, the 18th-century founder of the Shaker movement, before portraying her in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” a film opening Christmas Day that explores the visionary leader’s quest for equality and communal living.
“I was surprised that I didn’t learn about her in my own American history classes,” Seyfried – who starred in “Mamma Mia!” – told Reuters. “This woman is the leader of the Shaker movement.”
The Shakers were a Christian movement also known for their celibacy and ecstatic worship to shake off evil.
The film, directed by Mona Fastvold and distributed by Searchlight Pictures, follows Ann Lee, proclaimed as the female Christ by her followers.
In the movie, Ann Lee aims to establish a utopian society where the Shakers worship through song and dance, based on real American history.
Along with Seyfried, the film stars Lewis Pullman as William Lee, Ann’s brother; Christopher Abbott as Abraham Standerin, Ann’s husband, and Thomasin McKenzie as follower and friend of Ann, Mary Partington.
Like Seyfried, Pullman didn’t know anything about Ann Lee before working on the film.
“The more you learn about her, the more she seems like she should be a pivotal figure in history,” he said.
Pullman describes the real Ann Lee as a humanist who advocated for the rights of everyone.
For both Pullman and McKenzie, it was impressive to see how Seyfried captured both the pain and the powerful presence of Ann.
The film’s musical elements were a key part of the movement’s story, as the Shakers used song and dance to worship God and advocate for equity.
It was revolutionary for Seyfried when she realized that for the role of Ann, her singing went beyond giving a good performance.
“I’m singing to be alive. I’m not singing to sound, to perform. It’s like oxygen. It definitely shifted my perspective on what it means,” the “Dear John” actor said.
“It’s a musical but not the way we know musicals,” she added.
(Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway)
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