Shakers film shows how obscure religion championed modern ideals

Many of the tenets that 18th-century Shaker movement founder Ann Lee espoused hundreds of years ago could well enlighten today’s not-always-inclusive culture, says Amanda Seyfried.

She came to that conclusion by virtue of her starring in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” an epic historical drama and musical directed and co-written by Mona Fastvold. The film has drawn positive reviews on the festival circuit, not to mention some Oscar buzz, and opens in theaters nationwide on Jan. 23.

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