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The Death of the Hired Man

In a New England farmhouse, a dramatic struggle unfolds between a husband and wife over a farmhand who abandoned them during haying season, but has now returned to seek refuge before winter. This film adaptation of the Robert Frost narrative poem, "The Death of the Hired Man," is a quiet, poignant drama that captures the fragility of rural life at the dawn of the industrial revolution.

This is the second film in the "Poetry In Motion" series, which features short film adaptations of Robert Frost's narrative poems. Each film presents a performance of the poem's complete text.

The full text of the poem and this film can be found on the Poetry Foundation website.
poetryfoundation.org/poems/44261/the-death-of-the-hired-man

  • Donald Tongue
    Director
    Home Burial
  • Robert Frost
    Writer
    North of Boston
  • Donald Tongue
    Screenplay
    Home Burial
  • Donald Tongue
    Producer
    Home Burial
  • Kent D. Rich
    Producer
  • Michael Cobb
    Key Cast
    "Silas, Narrator"
    Home Burial, Complex World, Coach
  • Trish Aponte
    Key Cast
    "Mary"
  • Ray Dudley
    Key Cast
    "Warren"
  • George Fortin
    Key Cast
    "Harold Wilson"
  • Kent D. Rich
    Director of Photography
  • Jake Desharnais
    Lighting
  • Jamie Clavet
    Assistant Director
  • Erik Ljungholm
    Camera
  • Jim McClure
    Sound
  • Jynnifer Macomber
    Set Design
  • Lynn Head
    Costume Design
  • Seraphina Caliguire
    Hair & Makeup
  • Jamie Clavet
    Script Supervisor
  • Josh Miller
    Production Assistant
  • Vinny Alfano
    Audio Post Production
  • Robbyn Tongue
    Music Soundtrack
  • Wrightson Tongue
    Music Soundtrack
  • Ken Horne
    Music Soundtrack
  • Kent D. Rich
    Colorization
  • Sean Henderson
    Colorization
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Donald Tongue

Donald Tongue (Dramatist / Producer / Director) is an emerging filmmaker and the founder of Tongue Mountain Productions. His first film, an adaptation of Robert Frost's narrative poem "Home Burial," has been selected by nine film festivals and has won several awards, including Best Short, Best Adaptation, and Best Cinematography. Donald is also a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

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Director Statement

Adapted from Robert Frost’s poem, The Death of the Hired Man is a story about change, dignity, and survival in the face of economic upheaval. On the surface, Warren and Mary seem cold in denying Silas, their aging hired man, a regular wage. But the truth is more complicated—they, too, are struggling to survive as small farmers in an era when industrialization is eroding the very institution of the “hired man.”

This film is not about cruelty, but about the impossible choices ordinary people must make when tradition collides with progress. Silas returns not for money, but to find purpose, to belong—to “come home.” Yet home itself is in question: is it a place of labor, or a place of rest?

Ultimately, the film is a quiet elegy—for Silas, yes, but also for a vanishing way of life.