Ginger in the Morning Blu Ray Review (Film Masters)

Ginger in the Morning (aKa Pick Up the Pieces) is a 1974 comedy drama directed by Gordon Wiles (Bigfoot and Wildboy, Land of the Lost, The Bobby Darin Show, Here’s Edie, and The Krofft Supershow). It was written and produced by Mark Miller (Christmas Mountain, Diff’rent Strokes, A Walk in the Clouds, The Munsters Today, and Savannah Smiles). It was originally finished in 1972 but it wasn’t released until a few years later. A free-spirited young hitchhiker Ginger (played by: Sissy Spacek from Carrie, Badlands, Prime Cut, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Marie, JFK, Blast from the Past, Castle Rock, and In the Bedroom) befriends a divorced advertising executive Joe Maroney (played by: Monte Markham from We Are Still Here, Baywatch, Midway, Project X, Judgement Day, Dallas, and Guns of the Magnificent Seven) while trying to get a ride. Joe is looking for a distraction with life and Ginger just wants a fresh start. The two unlikely companions bond quicker than they expected during their road trip. Their new friendship turns into a surprising relationship as they spend more time together. What will happen with the new couple???? Ginger in the Morning is a little known 70’s drive-in feature. It didn’t do great at the box office and it ended up becoming public domain after being lost in the mix. This is a road trip film mixed with some rom com. The script has comedy, drama, and romance. It’s very tame compared to lots of material that was being released at the time. It sat on the shelves for a few years before it was actually pushed, Sissy Spacek blew up while this was being wasted away in the vaults. Pure exploitation, they decided give this a chance when the actress was getting respect everywhere. Sissy Spacek is great as the hippie hitchhiker Ginger here. She’s a free spirited singer looking for a change. She’s the best thing about Ginger in the Morning. Monte Markham as Joe Maroney is solid as the man going through a divorce going back home. He meets a stranger and it switches up his lifestyle at the time. He didn’t expect to find someone new when he decides to help out a stranger. She has some hidden secrets but he doesn’t know about what she’s really dealing with when he picks her up. They actually have decent chemistry despite being so different from each other. The rest of the supporting cast includes Fred Ward (Tremors franchise), Slim Pickens (The Howling), Susan Oliver (Freddy’s Nightmares), Mark Miller (Days of Our Lives), David Doyle (Charlie’s Angels), and Beatrice Kay (Underworld U.S.A.). This road trip movie gets even more interesting as you get invested into the main characters. These new companions have such a strong beginning but it gets very complicated as they really get to know each other in this. Ginger in the Morning is something unique for it’s sub-genre, it stays fun and it’s truly entertaining for the most part. It’s always great to discover something that’s been hidden forever when it comes to cinema, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Film Masters! This 1080p (1:85.1) transfer is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. It’s the best it’s ever looked anywhere and it’s a massive upgrade compared to every other version in the past. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track on the disc. The audio is solid for this low budget 70’s road trip feature. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the laughs are elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has a brand new exclusive “Audio Commentary” with C. Courtney Joyner and Amanda Reyes. They break down the independent production with so much information and behind the scenes stories. They talk about it not doing great at the box office and drive-in. They talk about it being grouped in with other television movies at the time when it didn’t have much success. They go over the cast, characters, script, crew, and it’s reputation. It has a little over 18 minute brand new exclusive “Interview” with lead actor Monte Markham. He chats his career. He talks about being excited that this was going to be theatrical over television. He shows appreciation and respect for it’s screenplay. He has some real interesting things to say about this independent production. It has the original 35MM “Trailer”. It has a brand new restored “Trailer”. This limited edition comes with a slipcover and a 12 page booklet. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!