The Automat (2021) User Reviews

Really fun

[carlfortunato · 9/10 · 2 April 2022]

I used to frequent the last automat, and I was very fond of it.

This made me a bit sad, though, because American business is no longer like it was. These guys STARTED by wanting to make a good restaurant, and figured that would make them money. Today, they just want to make money, and don't actually care about the product at all.

But it was a beautiful trip to a past time.

The democratic traditions of a bygone era

[tracywhite-565-333274 · 7/10 · 5 December 2022]

The documentary is both wonderful and sad. The Automat owners held deep-seated democratic traditions that are entirely absent in businessman now. They said the public had a right to a clean, elegant and affordable eating establishment with quality coffee. They created a workplace with dignity and respect and in return gained loyal workers who took pride in their work, not only for themselves but for the public they served. The one criticism I have with Lisa Hurwitz is the inclusion of Starbucks owner Howard Schultz. Starbucks is the antithesis of the Automat: cold, uninviting, supremely individualistic and overpriced. Oh, and the coffee is mediocre.

Starbucks is no Automat

[vangamer · 8/10 · 29 November 2022]

I never had the chance to visit the Automat but they always seem so urban and magical in movies when seen.

This was a delightful documentary and wonderfully stressed the open-for-all philosophy and highlighted businessmen who were smart and compassionate enough to treat employees well.

The only parts I wasn't wild about was the "free advertising" for Starbucks coffee restaurants with the owner, which went on a bit too long. Having just tried that chain again while traveling I wasn't impressed with the pricey coffee or 20-minute wait. I don't think you'll have Mel Brooks singing a nostalgic song about SB coffee.

Also kudos to the director for mixing people from Brooks to Colin Powell, RBG and regular working folk. It truly showed the American melting pot at its best.

Sheer delight for anyone misses (or wonders about) Automats

[skyvue · 10/10 · 20 February 2022]

THE AUTOMAT takes viewers back to the very beginning, sharing how Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart teamed to create the eateries so many of us love, though they no longer exist. Hurwitz spoke to family members, former employees, historians, authors and a few celebs -- Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Eliot Gould, Colin Powell -- about their Automat memories, and the result is a joyful yet unavoidably elegiac film that is simply a must-see for anyone with an interest in these bygone gems.

I expected this film to be good -- I was counting on it. And it lived up to and exceeded all hopes and expectations.

A loveletter to a time gone bye.

[rkeilitz-19-537915 · 10/10 · 7 June 2022]

Watching this lovely documentary brought back such wonderful memories of my early childhood and as a young man. It was a thrill for my grandparents and in later years my parents to take me to the Automat. We lived in Manhattan so we always went to the 42nd & 3rd avenue location. It was a delicious and unforgettable experience for little money and at times met friends there as well. The interviews with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Badger Ginsberg, and Colin Powell, all sharing their favorite Automat memories make for delightful viewing. This documentary was made with love as was the food the Automat served.

A slice of the United States at it finest ideal.

[thatmanstumotoconcepts · 8 November 2022]

A business that took care of its employees, respected its customers and where everyone was everyone else. If you had a nickel, you mattered just as much as the person next to you. And apparently, the food was awfully good. I sit pondering the land of lunacy, stupidity and ignorance this always flawed but once reasonably bright, reasonably optimistic country that I grew up in,served and loved, has become,I can only cry,smile and laugh, and cry some more as I watched this wonderful film. Watching and hearing the shared joy and hope of those who graced it,I am glad they were able to eat the pie and drink the coffee and now have had the chance to remember it so fondly.

It would have been an 8 but .......

[thejdrage · 7/10 · 22 January 2023]

It would have been an 8 but ....... far too much time was given to the starbucks guy. If you look at what starbucks has actually done business-wise and humanitarian-wise, they are the direct opposite of Horn and Hardart created and nurtured.

My experience was going to it when my mother took me to NYC and to Radio City Music Hall. We ate at the Automat across the street! And they showed that one!! She was very wise at finding good places to go that were budget friendly and, obviously, entertaining. That day in NYC was one of my favorite in memories with her.

If only other companies had truly copied and practiced what the Automat did with total grace and aplomb, this world would be a much better place.

Makes you wish you could go back in time to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

[george.schmidt · 10/10 · 8 April 2022]

THE AUTOMAT (2022) **** Documentarian Lisa Hurwitz looks back at an American institution, the automat - a self-service cafeteria in Philadelphia and NYC, that congregated the masses for its simple function of providing good food for literally nickels. Nostalgic pure and loving with famous folk like Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, and the film's heart and soul, the irrepressible Mel Brooks, all recounting personal memories of attending the establishment in heartfelt detail. Makes you wish you could go back in time to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

interesting dining fad gets a doc

[jdn-82931 · 6/10 · 27 January 2023]

This dining concept was fascinating to me. Instead of cafeteria staff handing you food then paying at a register, they used vending technology. It seems like a fun thing I missed out on. Two desserts without being judged. A+

My main issue was in the editing. There is so much stretching I started to think this doc was about yoga. It really needed tightening up. They show the false starts of the interviewees and repeating comments - this could all be cut.

This doc could have been half the time. And so could my review ;) seventy five more characters. Sheesh: maybe the documentary producers had a similar requirement.

What a joy!

[dbairdk · 10/10 · 21 March 2022]

Watching this exquisite documentary is such a joyful experience! It's as delicious and unforgettable as an exquisite meal with your favorite friend. The interviews with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Badger Ginsberg and Colin Powell, all sharing their favorite Automatic memories make fir delightful company. Made with love and great talent, one will want to revisit this gem often!

Wonderful until the cringy politician and a war criminal are introduced

[yahsx · 6/10 · 29 March 2023]

I am sure that people exist who are not divisive like rgb or mega criminals like Powell who could star in this doc. Starbucks model is the antithesis of this model so why was its ceo included.

War inflation and corrupt politicians are partly responsible for its demise after all. Maybe house ur homeless huh.

First time hearing about Automat and it seemed like a neat place. Loots of good footage and all other characters were nice. Mel and Carl crack me up. Engineer was great. Shame it had to include politicians but it is what it is, still worth watching.

-1 for featuring divisive rbg -1 for featuring war criminal Powell -1 for featuring starbucks ceo.

A MUST SEE!!!

[terryandlsm · 10/10 · 12 June 2022]

Seventy-nine minutes of pure delight!! Whether you experienced the wonder and deliciousness of the Automat, you've merely heard stories from family or you're hearing about the Automat for the very first time....don't miss treating yourself to this wonderful film about a genius food business - Horn and Hardart - that fed the needs of many above and beyond the food itself. First time director, Lisa Hurwitz, gives us a story that's entertaining, engaging and unforgettable. You'll love it!!

Must Be Taken With a Grain of Salt

[radbond · 2/10 · 16 April 2023]

Yes, yes, we get it. Everybody loved the Automat, the company loved its employees and this is the way America used to be and should be again. But the truth is that, in the end, Horn & Hardart did not take care of its employees. The employees were forced to retire and DID NOT GET ANY PENSION AT ALL. Several employees of Horn & Hardart can be seen testifying to these facts before a Senate commitee on NBC Reports: Pensions - The Broken Promise broadcast on September 12, 1972. After you see this Peabody award winning television program (available on Youtube), you will wonder what else in this program is propanganda.

A remarkable, funny, tender film about an important part of American food culture and history. Makes you want to go back for seconds.

[brandon-42243 · 10/10 · 19 October 2022]

THE AUTOMATIC is a masterpiece. A deeply thoughtful return to a by-gone era. Director Lisa Hurwitz brings us emotionally and intimately into the people, the sites, the smells, the tastes of this important slice of American history. The film takes you back to what it felt like to experience the community and culture of these iconic restaurants. The film is incredibly insightful, funny, tender, full of nostalgia and joy. This is a rare documentary that genuinely makes you feel good. The perfect film to see with friends and family and then have a slice of pie and talk about it. I cannot wait to see this film again.

Historic recollections of a unique, humanitarian eatery

[Sasha_Lauren · 10/10 · 4 November 2022]

Once upon a time, 1888, to be exact, Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart founded a restaurant that became a chain, a place in which you could put a nickel in well constructed vending machines and get a high quality piece of apple, peach, or lemon meringue pie, creamed spinach, turkey, ham and cheese sandwich, and many other well loved entees. To compliment the food or have on it's own, you could put five cents in a slot and pour a piping hot cup of perfect coffee out of a dolphin spigot, inspired by a fountain in Rome.

The first location was in Philadelphia. Other locations around Manhattan and other cities followed. Horn and Hardart believed in quality. They did not cut corners. They treated their employees like family. The architecture often incorporated the jazzy art deco of the day. People of all races and financial backgrounds had an equal place at Horn & Hardart's, which was also called The Automat in some of the locales. Providing the public with fresh cooked food for a nickel during the depression and times money was tight and creating an envionment that supported racial equality in a time when racism was rampant is no small feat. I enjoyed learning the history of this remarkable, historic, humanitarian eatery by watching the documentary The Automat.

Well known people includng Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Eliot Gould, and Colin Powell share their fond memories of The Automat in the film. I learned after I watched this well made movie that my father loved to eat there, I suppose when he was a student at NYU. I wonder if his family went there when he was growing up in Brooklyn? Oh, to have been there!

If you like a heart warming, educational documentary as much as a good cuppa coffee, I recommend The Automat. I saw it on Amazon.

I Never Knew What I Missed

[atlasmb · 9/10 · 24 November 2022]

This documentary is a work of love about a company that occupies a spot in the history of American restaurants, and America herself. Founded by two gentlemen just after the beginning of the 20th century, this chain of eateries became a staple, an iconic tourist attraction, and a philosophical statement about democratic principles and kindness.

The amount of work that went into this film is evident at every turn. Such comprehensive coverage of the subject, with interviews of past employees, customers and historians, and the numerous film excerpts.

I never went to an automat. My knowledge was limited to the scenes of them in American films. Now I miss them despite the fact I never saw one in person.

Joy is the feeling that runs through this documentary. It is a celebration of the unique vision of two men, grounded in a solid work ethic and the principles of fairness and generosity.

Learn where Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks got their brain food

[El Cine · 24 February 2023]

No surprise that people love to reminisce about restaurants. Good food, often in the company of friends, is a pleasure that makes lasting memories. Now pair this with a regional chain that specialized in unique technology for serving food, and you've got this documentary, a (no pun intended) slice of history which proves a tasty one.

The Automat of the title was a chain of informal dining rooms in Philadelphia and New York through most of the 20th century. Also known as Horn & Hardart, they were self-service with a unique twist: customers approached a vast wall of cubbies with glass doors, each holding an individual portion of side dishes, dessert, or main course. Put a nickel or two into the slot, and twist the knob, and the door would open to present your food. Behind these elaborate contraptions were the hidden kitchen staff who would periodically refill the cubbies.

Unless you're a veteran Philadelphian or New Yorker, almost the only people today who remember Automats are probably classic film/TV buffs who saw these on the screen. That wall of cubbies was an iconic sight. So it actually makes sense that I caught this documentary on Turner Classic Movies (I hear it's also appeared elsewhere). Clips of automats appearing in several old films starring Cary Grant, Burt Lancaster, and even Bugs Bunny are shown.

The doc not only evokes nostalgia, but also a sad sense of grandeur lost to modern mass production and chintzy taste. Even though Automats were informal dine-in, with food ready to eat, interestingly by all accounts it wasn't "fast food" as we know it. The Automats' low prices belied their high-quality cooking, as opposed to the thrown-together burgers and reheated slices of egg the same price gets you today. The original eateries were classy, too, even though they hosted throngs of people from all walks of life. Marble, brass, and ornate windows could be found.

The doc provides a solid overview of who started the Automats, how their system worked, and what it was like to work there. Interviews feature key people from the business, or their surviving descendants, including technicians and a laborer who are still proud of the company. Also covered is the Automats' gradual decline due to a few reasons. For example, as more people left the cities for suburbs, eating habits changed and this greatly affected the city-based Automats. The once-grand buildings became shabby, the neighborhoods rough. Ironically this inspired an ad campaign claiming they were not fancy, but good.

Along the way, the doc tries to celebrate Automats for promoting progressive virtues. Working women could get great lunches, people of all races sat together, etc. These are fair points but sometimes seem coincidental. And at the end of the screening on TCM, I was disappointed to hear the director say she cut some people from the doc because of their race or gender. No matter how fashionable this is among 2020s elite liberals, it's still discriminatory and wrong, not to mention a poor historical approach.

Maybe it's also why the doc feels a little lacking--it comes close to being great but doesn't quite reach that level. It's not that long so a couple minutes could've been spared for Ed Rendell and others who got cut. Or the doc could've trimmed the celebrities, whose contributions are mixed.

Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and politician/general Colin Powell speak convincingly about how valuable Automats were to children from poor families, but their clowning about neckties, or brief critiques of men's clubs, seem irrelevant, and could've been dropped. Comedy writer/director Mel Brooks is heavily featured--virtually the protagonist, and spirit guide. Like I've seen him do elsewhere, his humor and helpfulness come with a dose of ego. A Starbucks CEO talks about how the Automat inspired him, and he and another guy suggest unconvincingly that the Automat's virtues live on at Starbucks. (I thought the Automat was famous for *affordable* coffee...)

Despite these sour notes, you might find this to be a tasty stew overall, especially if you're a history buff, or just curious about those funny restaurants with all those glass cabinets you saw in old movies and TV.

automat, where art thou

[howboutthisone_huh · 8/10 · 6 June 2022]

I've always been fascinated with automat even though I've never been to one, I've only seen them on tv but the idea of getting your food from a vending machine just always seemed really fascinating. In japan, delivering food by tech/automation is a huge part of the food culture there. They automate the delivery of food in so many ways, it's probably confusing to most westerners. And yes, they do have 'automat' style restaurants. I love that the producers have made this film because it preserves a bit of food history so it doesn't get lost. In cities across the country, there are special places known to locals that represent for that area, and their history needs to be preserved not replaced, if not in 3D, then in digital. The only difference here is in the delivery. My only criticism is that the film doesn't explore food delivery in other countries, like japan. Nor does it mention that one reason 'automat's don't exist today is because of regulations for food safety. Nor does it mention very much that the success was based on volume sales. Probably one of the first american businesses that depended on volume sales which is commonplace today but not when 'automat's existed. And, starbucks is not 'automat'; not even close. But you could compare the warehouse mart to that business model because they also depend on volume sales and they also offer signature items that reinforce the brand but lose money in sales. And, the film doesn't offer a peak at the future because 'automat' will be back eventually in some form.

the automat

[mossgrymk · 9/10 · 21 December 2022]

Engaging, interesting documentary that brings back memories of an eighteen year old NYU student (me) who, mildly disgusted with the culinary offerings at Weinstein Hall, (my dorm), would routinely hightail it to the H/H on Union Square and, for less than two bucks, treat myself to a delicious lunch or dinner of sandwich (chicken salad was my fave), side of baked beans, pie (apple crumb or lemon) and really good, strong coffee (not all that common in America in 1967). So yeah, I find myself in agreement with Mel Brooks, RBG, Elliot Gould and, amazingly, Colin Powell in praising this beacon of American cuisine that shone through a fog of Hojos and worse in 1950s-60s east coast culture.

In telling H/H's story director Lisa Hurwitz, for the most part, employs a properly light and jaunty tone, appropriate for the discussion of good food. Things get a bit too mournful in the last third, though, as the automat declines and falls. I mean, we're not talking about western civilization here and, let's face it, restaurant tastes change. So if you're waxing nostalgic about a scrumptious, low priced, egalitarian food experience and don't know where to turn I have about five food trucks within half a mile of my place in LA toward which I can direct you. To mention nothing of the diner revival.

I also thought the talking heads were generally well chosen. I agree with the previous reviewer that a little of Mel B goes a long way and I could have done without Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz droning on about how H/H was his "inspiration" (certainly true of his treatment of unions, huh?) but, all in all, I thought this to be a fairly fun ninety minutes.

Bottom line: Sure would be nice to bring back the dolphin spout. Give it an A minus.

Surprisingly Heartwarming

[codyflavel-55992 · 9/10 · 7 November 2022]

I couldn't sleep and clicked on a random new release on HBO. I was interested by the function of the restaurant and wondered why there isn't more of this vending machine restaurant now. Then it became enduring watching a series of legends speak fondly about this restaurant in its hay day. Colin Powell to RBG were interviewed. They could have took the turn into racism and hate as so many shows do nowadays. I was relieved to see they didn't. It was mentioned, but not overdone. I'm curious about the producer and director considering the high profile people in the doc. I look forward to a savvy business person trying this type of restaurant again.

Nearly perfect

[drjgardner · 9/10 · 19 December 2022]

I was born in Queens (across the East River from Manhattan) and grew up in the 50s when the automat was in full swing. I went there often when I was in the city, so it was with great interest that I looked at this documentary.

It was wonderful. More than I expected. The interviews with the people were priceless as were the photos of the automats. They captured the essence of the automat. And the media videos of how the automat reached the greater culture were also wonderful.

So why a 9 instead of a 10? Blame it on Mel Brooks. He was not merely useless, it was painful to watch him rub his face, rub his hair, and otherwise sit uncomfortably in front of the camera. Don't get me wrong. I loved his work on TV and in films. But here he is not needed.

If you want to learn about the automat, this is required viewing.

reverence and nostalgia

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 24 November 2022]

It's a documentary of The Automat, food vending machine restaurants with their heights during the 20th century. It tells the story of this fascinating cafeteria-like restaurant chain, Horn & Hardart, turned into a cultural icon. It's fascinating to hear the societal reason for their popular. I always knew it was popular during the Great Depression for the obvious reason. It's good, reasonably priced food. I've never considered that it first gained popularity in New York where so many people did not speak English. It makes sense. They don't need to read a menu or talk to a waiter. In a way, the rise and fall of The Automat is a story of America.

Mel Brooks has a lot to say. There are a few other famous faces. Colin Powell adds the experience of a black family. All of them speak with such reverence and nostalgia. I don't think I've ever eaten at a Horn & Hardart. I have seen something like it a long time ago. This is an interesting way of accessing history through a side door.

Nostalgia for one shiny nickel

[gmaileatsyourlunch · 8/10 · 17 July 2023]

The Automat is a halcyon, loving remembrance of not just the rise and fall of a defunct restaurant chain, but a reflection and meditation on the shiny chrome, turny knobs, coin-operated simplicity and small miracles of youth that filled us with magic and unlimited possibility.

This is not a transformative documentary. You won't leave it feeling uplifted or with profound new insights. It's a look back and an honoring. Underpinning the interviews and personal stories, there's a melancholy awareness these palaces, still dear in our memories, are not only gone or unrecognizable, but with them, the zenith of a sacred soul of an age it's hard to imagine could exist today. And yet, the Automat was such an institution in its day, such an indelible fixture of city life, it must have seemed as permanent and inevitable as the subway and taxi cabs. Who could even imagine a New York City without it?

A documentary such as this, with its narrow subject matter, is in danger of running out of things to say. While it's occasionally thin-feeling, the photos and film snippets inside the restaurants and through various eras of city life are voluminous and always provide something of interest. The interviews with Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell and many of the former employees of Horn and Hardart never let it drift into tedium or repetition, but occasionally feel rushed or "on the spot" as opposed to planned. Media is never cheaply reused and, just as importantly, it all feels authentic and heartfelt, never going for cheap nostalgia, lazy sound bytes or contrived emotional tugs. Never cloying at us with an over-sentimentalized score. The song sung by Mel Brooks during the credits is syrupy, but the film mostly earns that right by the end. And yet, because it mostly eschews such gimmicks, it affects all the more.