Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train

  • 20042004
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 18m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
817
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
200,157
101,118
Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004)
Documentary
The life and times of Howard Zinn: the historian, activist, and author of several classics including "A Peoples History of the United States". Archival footage, and commentary by friend, col... Read allThe life and times of Howard Zinn: the historian, activist, and author of several classics including "A Peoples History of the United States". Archival footage, and commentary by friend, colleagues and Zinn himself.The life and times of Howard Zinn: the historian, activist, and author of several classics including "A Peoples History of the United States". Archival footage, and commentary by friend, colleagues and Zinn himself.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
817
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
200,157
101,118
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Deb Ellis
      • Denis Mueller
    • Stars
      • Matt Damon(voice)
      • Daniel Berrigan
      • Howard Zinn
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Deb Ellis
      • Denis Mueller
    • Stars
      • Matt Damon(voice)
      • Daniel Berrigan
      • Howard Zinn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 36Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos

    Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004)
    Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Matt Damon
    Matt Damon
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    Daniel Berrigan
    Daniel Berrigan
    • Self
    Howard Zinn
    Howard Zinn
    • Self
    Alice Walker
    Alice Walker
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Noam Chomsky
    Noam Chomsky
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Daniel Ellsberg
    Daniel Ellsberg
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Tom Hayden
    Tom Hayden
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Staughton Lind
    • Self
    David Rovics
    • Self
    John Silber
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Marian Wright Edelman
    Marian Wright Edelman
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Directors
      • Deb Ellis
      • Denis Mueller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time
    7.8
    Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time
    The Weather Underground
    7.5
    The Weather Underground
    Howard Zinn: A People's History of the United States
    6.6
    Howard Zinn: A People's History of the United States
    George Carlin's American Dream
    8.3
    George Carlin's American Dream
    An Unreasonable Man
    7.9
    An Unreasonable Man
    The Velvet Underground
    7.4
    The Velvet Underground
    To Be or Not to Be
    8.2
    To Be or Not to Be
    The Corporation
    8.0
    The Corporation
    Theory & Practice: Conversations with Noam Chomsky & Howard Zinn
    Theory & Practice: Conversations with Noam Chomsky & Howard Zinn
    BOSTON: An American Running Story
    7.4
    BOSTON: An American Running Story
    The Human Factor
    7.4
    The Human Factor
    Beautiful Boy
    7.3
    Beautiful Boy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Hypocrisy that exists between the wording of the U.S. Constitution and the actions of the U.S. Government in supporting slavery, segregation, the military industrial complex, and corporate interests is the central theme of Dr. Zinn's works, and his life's work in protestation of these perceived injustices.
    • Quotes

      Zinn, Howard: History is important. If you don't know history it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anybody up there in a position of power can tell you anything, and you have no way of checking up on it.

    • Soundtracks
      There Is Power In A Union
      Written by Billy Bragg

      Performed by Billy Bragg

      Courtesy of Chrysalis Music

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    An outstanding presentation about an uncommon man
    Traditional American History textbooks describe the American Revolution as a glorious revolt against tyranny, and the resulting government as a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world. In Zinn's A People's History of the United States, he provides evidence that the revolution served the interests of an elite ruling class, and the resulting government was in many ways as tyrannical as the government it replaced.

    By telling history from the point of view of the oppressed, Zinn has transformed the way history is taught in American classrooms. In this cinematic exploration of his life, it becomes clear that he has lived his life in accordance with his principles.

    The movie makes excellent use of interviews with important leaders -- Alice Walker, Marian Wright Edelman, Tom Hayden, Daniel Berrigan and others -- to tell about Zinn's influence as a leader against Jim Crow laws in Georgia, as a primary leader of the Peace Movement during the Vietnam War, as a union activist at Boston University, and as a leader in the anti-War movement during the Iraqi conflict.

    If you're not familiar with Zinn's writings, you will be inspired to read about him after watching this movie.

    Highly recommended.
    helpful•23
    5
    • BringOurTroopsHome
    • Jan 2, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 18, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Говард Зинн: Как сохранить нейтралитет в поезде
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $122,011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $122,011
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 18 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.