A thematically robust and surprisingly introspective look at one of America’s most cherished (and oft-forgotten) institutions, “The Automat” is much like the products of its eponymous subject: easily accessible, thoughtfully produced, and quickly consumed. According to director Lisa Hurwitz, a one-time pillar of American commerce and the foremost symbol of early-twentieth-century urbanization, the automat was more than just an eatery: it was a harbinger of social, racial, gender, and economic sea changes.

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