Doubters don't dim Harvey's Oscar hunger
Harvey Weinstein, we were told, has been too fixated on launching his high-profile magazine with Tina Brown, too busy being a friend of Bill and Hillary and too preoccupied with the New York social whirl to perform his customary end-of-year pyrotechnics. That's what people kept buzzing in my ear.
In the past, Harvey could always be counted on to upset the Oscar apple cart at year end --- witness Miramax's 110 nominations and 30 wins, most from the last five years --- but this year, they told me, he'd taken his eye off the ball.
Well, they were wrong: It's "Harvey Time" yet again. Two Miramax films, "Shakespeare in Love" and "Life Is Beautiful," have emerged as serious Oscar dark horses and four or five others have a shot at least at a Golden Globe. And while Harvey does his thing, brother Bob has brought forth "The Faculty" to appease his loyal bloodlust demo.
It's no surprise, therefore, that Harvey's mood is downright festive as he suns himself in St. Barts this week. Despite Miramax's alleged "off-year," the company's profits, Harvey insists, reached $ 125 million, well ahead of last year's $ 71 million. Two holdovers from '97 --- "Good Will Hunting" and "Scream 2" --- accounted for a hefty share of those revenues, to be sure.
EVEN HARVEY WOULD ADMIT that many of his 30 or so releases each year do not exactly trigger a seismic shock in the marketplace. On the other hand, Miramax doesn't launch $ 50 million advertising fusillades to open its movies, as do the so-called "majors."
Thus, Miramax made a profit on its overall program of live-action movies this year --- a feat that perhaps only two of the majors could share in --- and this despite occasional disappointments like "The Mighty" or Woody Allen's "Celebrity."
Even Harvey now is playing his hand ever more cautiously. "We'll be releasing fewer movies in '99," he told me two weeks ago. "We're not starting any movie for the next three months and we've acquired only one movie since May."
These actions, he says, stemmed from prudence, not austerity. With several Miramax-like companies now crowding the market, prices have gotten surreal, Harvey believes.
Hence, while his company once depended on acquisitions, Miramax currently produces most of its own releases and, rumors to the contrary, is keeping the lid on costs. While the budget of "Shakespeare in Love" edged close to $ 40 million, that cost was split with Universal. "We're still making $ 5 million movies and we're keeping our average close to $ 14 million," he reports.
Harvey is keenly aware of the mixed signals sent forth by his association with Tina Brown, an editor who has never taken the Miramax pledge of parsimony. But, again, he insists this venture has been misperceived. He and Tina are seeking a 50-50 partner who will not only share start-up costs, but also supply the back-office heft. He's convinced that ultimate revenues from TV magazine shows and movie spin-offs will make the new venture profitable.
IF THE NETWORKS INDEED have an appetite for Tina, he may prove correct, given the felicitous economics of the "Datelines" and "Primetime Lives." Magazine insiders may remain skeptical about the prospects of yet another pricey version of Vanity Fair or the New Yorker, but they may also be missing the big picture.
Hence, while Tina and her partner, Ron Galotti, scout for new offices, Harvey is sunning himself and flashing his "what, me worry?" smile. In his mind, he is no longer merely a moviemaker, but rather a full-fledged media maven, and a unique one at that. Rupert Murdoch's toys may circle the globe, but he's never had the satisfaction of nurturing a brilliant work like "Shakespeare in Love" through the rough cinematic seas. Ted Turner may have his billions, but he doesn't have the instant gratification of reading a superb script and pressing a button to get it made.
And that's why, naysayers aside, no one enjoys Harvey Time quite as much as Harvey.
