Ginger in the Morning ** (1974, Sissy Spacek, Monte Markham, Mark Miller, Susan Oliver, Slim Pickens) – Classic Movie Review 13,630

The 1974 American romance film Ginger in the Morning stars Sissy Spacek as a hippyish young hitchhiker picked up on the road by a newly divorced middle-aged executive (Monte Markham).

Director Gordon Wiles’s 1974 American romance film Ginger in the Morning stars Sissy Spacek, Monte Markham, Mark Miller, Susan Oliver, and Slim Pickens.

Sissy Spacek stars as Ginger, a hippyish young woman hitchhiker picked up on the road by newly divorced middle-aged executive Joe (Monte Markham). They start an affair, complicated by the arrival of Markham’s army buddy Charlie (Mark Miller) and Markham’s ex-wife Sugar (Susan Oliver).

Good performances, especially from the young Spacek in her third cinema film, eat up and make a meal of actor/ co-producer Mark Miller’s modestly engaging if unsurprising dialogue.

There are welcome turns from Slim Pickens as the Sheriff and Ward ‘Kip’ Allen as the Deputy Everett. And it is the feature debut of Fred Ward, aged 29, as a truck driver.

Cast: Sissy Spacek as Ginger, Monte Markham as Joe, Mark Miller as Charlie, Susan Oliver as Sugar, David Doyle as Fred, Marion Charles as Diane, Slim Pickens as Sheriff, Ward ‘Kip’ Allen as Deputy Everett, Fred Ward as Truck Driver, Beatrice Miller as Stewardess, Wendy Wiles, Beatrice Kay, Al Cantu.

Ginger in the Morning is directed by Gordon Wiles, runs 90 minutes, is made by Kyma-Circle Productions and Marshall M Borden Productions, is written by Mark Miller, is shot by William K Jurgensen, is produced by Mark Miller, Barbara Singer and Clark L Paylow, and is scored by Don McGinnis.

Sissy Spacek’s second film is Badlands (1973), though her big break was Carrie (1976).

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,630

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