What to Watch: 13 Sundance Premieres Celebrating Diner Culture

by Stefania Sarrubba

At the beating heart and growling stomach of American culture, diners have often brought their unassuming, nostalgic allure to the silver screen.

The long hours, the comfort food at inexpensive fares, and the shelter diners offer all year round have turned them into more than just stops for a caffeine fix. Originally built to look like railroad dining cars, these narrow restaurants set the scene - any scene - like no other place. There, Americana is still tangible in its most reassuring form: it flows from the ever-pouring coffee jars, permeates the hearty meals served on colorful tabletops, and radiates from the casual, vibrant decor. And while this version of America may lack nuance, it's up to servers and patrons to tell their tales and add them to the mix.

Diners are great equalizers where characters from all walks of life cross paths, sometimes just for the time of a refill. A bridge paved with pancakes and cups of joe across different genres, stories, and people, diners and their booths guard the secrets of conversations we overhear from the other side of the fourth wall.

Looking back on many films set across the 50 states, it is hard not to spot one of such humble eateries in even a fleeting sequence. And Sundance Film Festival premieres are no exception, with some of the most iconic diner scenes entering the world via Park City, as you'll see in our round-up below.

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