I love documentaries about how food can bring people together or tie us to history or culture.
But sometimes, what brings us together isn’t just the food; it’s also the restaurant. A single spot that brings together people of different backgrounds, a place you visit with your family that becomes a generational tradition. Director Lisa Hurwitz perfectly captured the love of that kind of place in her documentary The Automat.
The Automat followed the rise and fall of the automat restaurant chain from Horn & Hardart, established in 1902 and lasting until ’91. Lisa Hurwitz expertly made the automat a character in the film, almost bestowing a personality to the eatery through her archival footage. The restaurants’ beautiful design and delicious food attracted celebrities and artists, while its low prices made it accessible for working-class patrons. She used her interviews and archival footage to depict the restaurants as a communal dining places for New Yorkers and Philadelphians, successful and meaningful because of their accessibility. She also demonstrated how the automat shifted its brand with the changing times, acting almost like a living entity.
Lisa Hurwitz tied the automat’s rise to the changing social and political climate in a way that makes the restaurant feel culturally relevant. She highlighted the uniquely desegregated eating areas during the Civil Rights movements of the ’60s and ’70s and how women frequented the establishment as new workforce members in the ’20s or ’50s. I wish Hurowitz delved a bit more into how automats may have been impacted by the labor movements in the ’50s-’70s like she did other social movements. Still, she did her job demonstrating how the Horn & Hardart automats felt like a touchstone of New York and Philly culture during its tenure.
The Automat is the most earnest films about nostalgia made in years, as you see how the restaurants tied into the lives of its customers and, in a few cases, reinforced personal values. You can feel the joy in their voices by listening to Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner, and others talk about their favorite foods or memories of automats. My favorite interviews were with a former busboy, engineers, and architects, as they dived into how the restaurants’ designs evoked a welcoming vibe for the guests. I do wish that, like the busboy, maybe Hurwitz could’ve interviewed more former staff, like managers or chefs. Still, the interviews she did get were great, painting a picture of the Automat for a modern audience.
After screening the film, I attended the afterparty at The Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, the perfect place to eat after this type of doc. As I walked in, I immediately saw the dumplings being made in the exposed kitchen, followed by a series of clear food compartments. As I approached the compartments, I was handed a ticket, walked up to the containers, scanned it, and a container door opened up with a fresh batch of chicken dumplings and seasoned waffle fries. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was lively as I listened to attendees tell stories about going to automats.
Director Lisa Hurtwitz (center) and authors Lorraine B. Diehl (right) and Marianne Hardart (left) of The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart’s Masterpiece
The film awakened memories in the crowd, as the guests would talk with each other about their favorite meals when the Horn & Hardart automats was still around. Most of the guests spoke about pie, like lemon and cranberry pie, commonly paired with a smooth cup of coffee. I could hear the tenor in their voices when talking about the Automat’s coffee, as it seemed like nothing could genuinely replace it. It was an intimate party, the perfect way to follow up the film.
Before seeing this doc, I’d never heard of automats. But watching this film made me want to learn more about it, as I felt the excitement of this new establishment. The Automat captured both that nostalgia and attachment we all have for a special place that becomes a fixture of our daily lives without realizing it. After seeing this film, I hope something like the Horn & Hardart automats come back just so I can share the experience all these people had with this place.
Also, the film ends with a Mel Brooks musical number, the most beautiful way to end any film.
The Automat is now playing in select theaters.