Cipher in the Snow (1974)

Asking to leave a school bus, Cliff, a young teenager, collapses and dies in the snow near the roadside. His math teacher is asked to notify the parents and then write a short obituary. ... See full summary »

Director:

Keith J. Atkinson

Writers:

Jean Mizer (story), Carol Lynn Pearson (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Bridges, Bruce Kimball, Jacqueline Mayo

Cast

Cast overview:
Robert Bridges
Bruce Kimball
Jacqueline Mayo
Roberta Shore	...	Peggy, school secretary
Walter Stocker
Mary Cox
Larry Watts
Martha Henstrom
Kirk Hutchings
Ronald Jenkins	...	Bus Driver
Court LeRoy

Storyline

Asking to leave a school bus, Cliff, a young teenager, collapses and dies in the snow near the roadside. His math teacher is asked to notify the parents and then write a short obituary. This task is difficult, for although he was Cliff's favorite teacher and had the most interaction of any at the school, he barely knew him. In unraveling the mystery of the untimely death, he finds that Cliff was shy, lonely, and ostracized, being slowly reduced to nothing, a zero (cipher). He vows to not let this happen to others.

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Plot Keywords:

teacher | obituary | teenager | shy | bully | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1974 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brigham Young University

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

CIPHER IN THE SNOW was adopted by the NEA and was used as an initiation to grade school kids in the '70s as part of the standard curriculum.

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Connections

Referenced in The Field Is White (2002)

User Reviews

25 years and it still lingers..

This film was shown to me at school when I was a mere 7 years old. I can only assume that the school felt it was necessary as along with 4 other children we were put in a 10x10 room and shown this film and asked about our feelings on the movie.

I came from a broken home at the age of 4 and the memory of this film and my life at that time will never be forgotten. It is unfortunate that today's school systems refuse to show this film and ignore these problems that are so blatant in our younger single parent households.

Without a doubt I can agree with the other comments that this movie changed my life in such a profound way. I am now married and a father of 2 kids. With the ever present residue of this film in my mind I know that my children will never become just another Cipher in the snow.