"The messages started over a year ago. The title cracked me up, my film-loving friend Matt texted me, along with a tweet announcing a new musical called Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold, about an 18th-century leader of the Shaker movement. Why would such innocuous film news delight him so much? Well, because my name is Ann Lee too. Yes! Fame at last! I replied."
"I've answered in a similar vein to all the messages since then from other friends eager to break the news to me that my name was getting top billing in a prestigious Hollywood film. And I was genuinely amused and excited; for most of my life Ann Lee had seemed the beigest of names. Lee, or Li as it's also spelled, is one of the most common surnames in the world and shared by more than 100 million people in Asia."
"The title became The Testament of Ann Lee, and it's a musical brimming with as much verve and bold ambition as its heroine, who struck out on her own from humble beginnings in Manchester, the daughter of a blacksmith, determined to conquer America with not much more than her Christian faith, dogged belief in gender equality, and a small group of devoted followers."
A woman named Ann Lee receives messages reporting a new musical called The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold about an 18th-century Shaker leader. The woman is amused and excited because her common name suddenly appears prominent. The film portrays its heroine rising from a blacksmith's daughter in Manchester to lead a devoted group in America driven by Christian faith and gender equality. Fastvold co-wrote the script with Brady Corbet, and Seyfried is tipped for awards. Online searches for the name now return pages about the film, making this Ann Lee the most visible bearer.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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