Baker Institute rolls out the red carpet for ‘Recount’ premiere and discussion of federal election reform with Jimmy Carter and James Baker

Baker Institute rolls out the red carpet for ‘Recount’ premiere and discussion of federal election reform with Jimmy Carter and James Baker

BY DAVID RUTH
Rice News staff

The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy hosted the Houston premiere of the HBO movie “Recount” Tuesday. Following the screening, TIME Magazine national correspondent David Von Drehle moderated a discussion about federal election reform with former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

	PHOTOS BY GEORGE WONG
	Ping Sun, Rice President David Leebron and actress Laura Dern are pictured before the premiere of the HBO movie “Recount.”

Attending the premiere were “Recount” stars Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern, along with director Jay Roach, writer Danny Strong and executive producers Paula Weinstein and Len Amato.
 
Spacey (“American Beauty,” “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “The Usual Suspects”) plays presidential candidate Al Gore’s campaign manager Ron Klain. Dern (“Jurassic Park,” “I Am Sam” and “Blue Velvet”) plays Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. Baker is played by Tom Wilkerson (“Michael Clayton,” “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and “The Full Monty”). The movie makes its HBO premiere at 8 p.m. CDT Sunday, May 25.

Baker, who was called upon by then-candidate George W. Bush to represent his case in the 2000 recount, co-chaired the 2005 Commission on Federal Election Reform with Carter. The Carter-Baker commission presented a report in September that called for significant changes in how Americans vote, including verifiable paper trails for electronic voting machines, photo IDs for all voters and impartial administration of elections. Baker is the honorary chair of Rice’s Baker Institute.

For more information and to see a “Recount” trailer visit www.hbo.com/films/recount/index.html.

Actor Kevin Spacey speaks with former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.		Pictured, from left, are former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, actor Kevin Spacey and former President Jimmy Carter.