Adrianne and The Castle is a fascinating oddity of a documentary from filmmaker Shannon Welsh, a fantastical love story told from the perspective of a fairytale that is sadly over. It follows Alan St-George, an artist and entrepreneur of a world famous mascot company, responsible for numerous iconic cuddly heroes such as Tony the Tiger and Smokey Bear.
Had this simply been an examination of St-George’s business ventures, that may well have struck a chord with modern audiences, given the current cimate we find ourselves in, where flocks of people will buy a ticket to the next semi-fantastical story centred around the genesis of a world-famous Mattel product, a “Frosted” breakfast snack or even the story of hot Cheetos and a long-forgotten phone named after a summer fruit. Yet Welsh’s documentary is far deeper than your typical corporate love/tie-in. Here is a real story, told by a man who has lived a life of fantasy, very much wrapped up in his own personal Disney adventure, shared with a life partner so perfect for him it almost feels as dreamlike as one of old Walt’s classics.
As the film begins, Alan tells the story of how he first clasped eyes upon Adrianne. The film itself recounts this specific moment, as Alan , now played by a young actor, gazes out of a window and for the first time, lays eyes upon the woman that will transform his life into technicolour – as a neat twist, the real Alan plays the part of the old bus driver, breaking character as he fails to contain the joy at reliving this moment even through imagination. And there is a reason for this. Adrianne is no longer with Alan. At least not in person, yet the film is a tribute to her, and an undying connection to the magic she brought into Alan’s world.
As Alan recounts the story of their lives together, we begin to understand more of this unique bond. When the two fall in love quickly, they set up camp together in not simply a 63-room mansion – that would be far too normal – but instead, a 63-room castle, meticulously designed and crafted by the artist himself, at the loving behest of his very own queen. Together they exist in their own resolutely engineered fantasy, living happily ever after… But the film asks, what happens when the fairytale ends? What happens when “happily ever after” becomes a falacy and one person is left to face a reality the pair had sheltered each other from for so long.
Picking up following the passing of Adrianne, we catch up with Alan, still very much enveloped in this world he created with his true love, now attempting to retrace key steps through the medium of performance. Through the conceit of the documentary, Alan attempts to cast actors to play both himself and the centre of his world, as he agrees to document their lives together in a manner that only seems appropriate – on the stage.
It’s these quiet moments that cast a light on an individual that has long been sheltered it seems, from the realities outside his make-believe kingdom, but Welsh’s documentary manages to carefully and respectfully pinpoint a sad truth in this story.
This allows Welsh to explore not only an extraordinary presence in Adrianne, but also the sense of shattering loss for Alan now that he has awoken from this dream. There is a sense throughout that he is desperately clinging onto a world he knows will never quite be the same again, and at times this becomes almost too much for him to comprehend. A key moment comes around the halfway point, when Alan has cast his “Adrianne”, and sits in on a rehearsal, beaming at the sight of something he imagined long lost, only for the actor to take a misstep in the performance and remind him, devastatingly, that this is only a reconstruction. It’s these quiet moments that cast a light on an individual that has long been sheltered it seems, from the realities outside his make-believe kingdom, but Welsh’s documentary manages to carefully and respectfully pinpoint a sad truth in this story.
As a piece of filmmaking, Adrianne and the Castle finds the right tone. Welsh steps into this world as an outsider, and much of the spoken interview segments captures a sense of almost bemusement at this novel relationship, whilst the film draws us in deeper through the enchanting sound design and cinematography that can often feel like light shot through a prism.
On the surface, some of this may feel inpenetrable, but the documentary works similar to how a Disney sequence from the 1940s, put under a microscope today doesn’t feel like it should work, and yet somehow remains undeniable. As the film gradually draws the audience into this world that is now shattered by loneliness, the remnants of this fantasy, the remaining words of Adrianne and the unwavering presence of Alan still clinging on, bring this world back to life for not only us, but more importantly, for Alan St-George himself.
Like all dreamy inventions, there’s a sense of darkness broiling beneath the surface – not only the reality of death, but also the stories of depression, drunkeness, sleeping pills – and this casts a light on the still grounded reality of Alan and Adrianne’s existence, whilst simultaneously capturing their shared single-mindedness to live their dreams together.
As Adrianne puts it so succinctly herself: “Reality is for those that lack imagination.”
ADRIANNE & THE CASTLE PLAYED AT FANTASIA FEST 2024
Joe’s Archive – Adrianne and The Castle (2024)
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