Cipher in the Snow

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.

.....then by all means let me know at the above e-mail addy so that I may arrange it for you. This utterly captivating little film is one that a lot of folks my age can't remember the title of but nonetheless will never forget having seen way back in grade school when 16mm projection of educational films was a frequent ritual. While many of the shorts in question that we were forced to sit through were dry, boring affairs, this heart-rending account of a tragically departed child that everyone at school remembers but nobody seemed to love was/is an historic classroom experience for those who were there. A film that simply must be seen by as many contemporary schoolchildren as possible, if only to stem the tide of 'bullying' that's out of control.

I was inspired by this movie. The drama is real. The solution is within our human hands. Very humbling and motivating at the same time. This movie touched me in a profound way, at a deep level. I watched it in Grade 7 or 8 (12-yrs-old) at school (do they still show this in schools?!). I haven't seen it since, but I still think of it and I'm 29-yrs-old now! The boy is so ignored, so non-existent to others. When we don't 'matter' to anyone, it's hard to matter to ourselves, especially when we are teenagers, when social acceptance is so very important. This boy didn't even have a family support network. I related to this at a personal level. It's good to watch shows or read books that help us realize we are not alone; that helps us realize we can help others with such little effort. We underestimate our ability to make a difference in someone's life sometimes.

Over the past 30 years I've thought about this film off and on. I saw it in junior high school back in the day when films were shown via 16mm projectors. The scene of the kid getting off the bus and dying stuck with me. I didn't remember the title of the film, but this is why the IMDb is so great. I have been watching episodes of "The Virginian" in the past year. I looked up "The Virginian" on IMDb and started looking at what other projects the cast members have appeared in. Much to my surprised delight I discovered Roberta Shore from "The Virginian" was in a movie where a kid got off the bus and died. And so now I know the best film I ever saw in a junior high classroom is called, "Cipher In The Snow."

A wonderful, heartbreaking movie with a powerful lesson, how little we sometimes realize as parents, teachers, and leaders , the effect our words have on children.. "Cliff, what are you day-dreaming about today?" Our Father in Heaven never writes off any of his children, and yet we often label them as "dumb" or "slow learner" and they carry this with them.. Highly recommended for all age groups.. He started off such a happy little boy with a love for the beautiful, simple things in life (the frogs, the budding flower) that we take for granted, and his step father failed miserably to see the blessings of such an example, and so sad that mothers put up with such men who would mistreat their children so terribly..