Parents' Guide to The Testament of Ann Lee

One person's art is another person's agony, and that's certainly what Ann Lee brings to the altar in this incredibly well-made biopic. Eliciting great performances from Seyfried and co-star Lewis Pullman (as Lee's brother, William) in particular, director Mona Fastvold brings a remarkable figure from American history to life, deepening many viewers' understanding of what "the Quakers" and "the Shakers" were all about.

From a craft standpoint, there's plenty in The Testament of Ann Lee that's remarkable, but it also brings to mind the experience of sitting through a sermon at church as a child: The message may be solid, but it often takes some maturity to appreciate. And then there's the fact that one of the Shakers' principle beliefs revolves around celibacy as the result of Ann Lee's negative experiences with sex (including 18th century kink), which doesn't exactly scream "young viewers." (Plus, given that the movie's songs aren't of the catchy Broadway variety, but are instead actual Shaker hymns and chants, and the choreography is more like interpretive dance, this isn't one that's necessarily going to grab all the theater kids.) As Lee herself might say, there's a place for every kind of movie, and every movie has its place, but The Testament of Ann Lee's place isn't with most teen audiences.