A Name in Lights: Film Journalist Finds Unexpected Fame Through “The Testament of Ann Lee”
A film journalist’s ordinary life took an extraordinary turn when a new musical about 18th-century Shaker leader Ann Lee sparked a wave of messages from friends pointing out a remarkable coincidence: the journalist shares the same name as the film’s subject.
For much of her life, Ann Lee considered her name remarkably unremarkable. “For most of my life Ann Lee had seemed the beigest of names,” she recounts. With “Lee,” or “Li” as it’s also spelled, being one of the most common surnames globally – shared by over 100 million people in Asia – she assumed she wasn’t alone. However, the announcement of The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold, changed that perception.
The film, described as brimming with “verve and bold ambition,” tells the story of Mother Ann Lee, a woman who left her humble beginnings in Manchester to establish a new religious sect in America founded on Christian faith, gender equality, and celibacy. The initial announcement, shared via a tweet, prompted a flurry of excited messages. “’Yes! Fame at last!’ I replied,” the journalist shared, amused by the attention.
The title later evolved to The Testament of Ann Lee, and the film has garnered early praise, with whispers of a potential Best Actress Oscar nomination for Seyfried. The journalist notes that prior to this, a Google search for her name yielded limited results, aside from a 90s Eurodance singer also named Ann Lee. Now, the film dominates the search results. “It’s clear this Ann Lee will now be seen as the definitive one,” she observes.
The personal connection deepened when she received an invitation to a preview screening followed by a Q&A with Seyfried and Fastvold. At the event, a simple act – giving her name to the PR representative – highlighted the film’s impact. “Hang on, what did you say your name was again?” the representative asked, prompting a laugh and a hopeful remark about finally having her name spelled correctly. The journalist wryly acknowledges the frequent misspellings – “Anne,” “Anna,” or the conflation of “Ann-Lee” as a single name – and a particularly memorable incident at an exhibition where she was asked if her name was “Ham Lee.”
Her experiences extend beyond simple misspellings. As a film journalist, she’s often jokingly asked if she’s Ang Lee, the acclaimed Taiwanese director. “Yes, we’re both Asian with similar names. Hilarious,” she notes with a touch of resignation.
Upon finally viewing The Testament of Ann Lee, the journalist was captivated. She describes the film as possessing an “animalistic fervour,” “thundering dance sequences,” and “rousing songs” – Shaker hymns transformed into “genuine folk bangers.” Seyfried’s portrayal of Mother Ann is described as “ferocious,” depicting a woman who rejected sex in favor of ecstatic dance and unwavering faith.
Despite some minor quibbles with the cast’s Mancunian accents, the journalist found Fastvold’s surreal approach compelling. She was relieved the film lived up to expectations, avoiding the fate of many ambitious projects. “For every Inside Llewyn Davis, Erin Brockovich and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, there’s a John Carter or Gigli not far behind,” she points out.
During the Q&A, seeing her name emblazoned across the screen behind the cast and crew was a surreal experience. “It was hard not to get a kick out of seeing that same name now celebrated on such a large scale,” she admits. Even though the film centers on another Ann Lee, the name’s recognition feels deeply personal.
This experience prompted reflection on the impact of sharing a name with a prominent figure. She wonders if others – Donnie Darkos, Ferris Buellers, or Charlie Wilsons – experienced similar excitement. She even considers the potential challenges of sharing a name with a cultural icon like Bridget Jones.
The journalist cites the example of John Wick, a businessman after whom the John Wick film franchise was named by his grandson, screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Wick reportedly found the association “a lot of fun,” despite being hard of hearing and never watching the films. Similarly, Michael B. Jordan reflected on the challenges and motivations of sharing a name with basketball legend Michael Jordan, stating, “Your name is important…but when there’s another guy out there who’s the guy, I think it created a healthy chip [on my shoulder].”
As Fastvold described Lee as “the first American feminist,” the journalist wonders if this newfound association will inspire her own ambitions. “Lee might now be the definitive Ann Lee but there’s still time for me to forge my own path to glory – I think that’s an aspiration she would have approved of.”
The Testament of Ann Lee is out in UK cinemas on February 20.
