In The Testament of Ann Lee, Ann Lee is born in Manchester in 1736, and her early world is a hard mix of factory work and family strain. As a child she witnesses her parents’ intimacy and, alongside the harsh discipline of her father, begins to associate sex with sin; this impression shadows her as she grows, and she eventually takes a cook’s job at a local infirmary. One day, she, her brother William Lee, and their niece visit the home of the Quaker couple Jane Wardley and James Wardley, whose church embraces public confession, spontaneous singing, shouting, and dance as acts of worship. Drawn to this fervent style, Ann becomes a regular in the group of “shaking Quakers” and soon marries fellow believer Abraham Standerin. The story is framed by the narrator Mary Partington, whose voice guides the listener through Ann’s evolving faith and the personal costs that accompany it.
Ann’s ascent is marked by deep trepidations around sex, especially as Abraham Standerin shows interest in sadomasochism, and the couple endures the sorrow of losing all of their children in infancy. The couple’s turmoil sits beside Ann’s growing sense that she is part of a larger divine plan. Her brother’s sexuality adds another layer of tension within the family and community, even as the Shaker movement itself unsettles the surrounding society. A pivotal moment comes when the Shakers, unsettling enough to provoke a local backlash, lead to Ann’s arrest and a fourteen-day imprisonment in which she refuses sustenance. During this confinement she experiences a vision of levitation and contemplates Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, an event she interprets as proof that original sin lies in fornication and that humanity must abstain from marriage and sex; these revelations are shared with Shaker leaders and solidify her status as a female Messiah, now known as “Mother Ann.”
With the public mood turning against them, the Shakers decide to relocate to New England, a move funded by the wealthy farmer John Hocknell. They board the ship Mariah, where Nancy Lee—who later becomes enamored with Hocknell’s son Richard—adds a personal tension to the journey, even as the crew mocks the rituals and Ann helps sustain morale during a violent storm. Upon landing in New York City, Ann dispatches William Lee and other men northward to scout land for a fledgling community. While they wait, Nancy’s romance with Richard unfolds and Abraham Standerin leaves Ann, strained by their marital distance and denial of sex; these events press Ann to rethink leadership and authority within their movement.
In the spring, Ann and her followers reunite with William Lee in the nascent settlement of Niskayuna, where their numbers swell with converts and foundling children who are brought into the community. The growing settlement draws the attention of authorities, and Ann is arrested again, this time by the Continental Army for insisting on neutrality during the war, a charge that reflects the group’s controversial stance. After a sympathetic governor frees her, she travels through New England, founding and guiding Shaker communities even as others suspect witchcraft or superstition. She continues to recruit at local farms, where mobs set fires and beat Shakers; during one brutal attack she is stripped below the waist and questioned about her gender, an ordeal that leaves her badly injured. In the wake of the assault, William Lee dies shortly after, and follower Mary Partington is half-blinded, underscoring the fragility of life within the movement. A year later, Ann herself succumbs to the cumulative wounds and dies, leaving behind a village that has become a thriving, self-sustaining Shaker community.
The closing pages of the tale record the enduring footprint of the movement: Shaker communities persist through generations, and the film notes that by 2025 there are only two Shakers left. Throughout, the narrative is brought to life by a cast of characters led by [Ann Lee], with key figures like Pastor Reuben Wright and George Whitefield appearing in scenes that highlight the tension between spiritual fervor and social upheaval. The arc is grounded in intimate moments—between Ann and her supporters, between leaders and followers, and between individuals caught between strict religious discipline and personal longing—delivering a compassionate, historically grounded portrait of faith, power, and resilience.
