Harvey Weinstein: the most powerful man in Hollywood

Harvey Weinstein: the most powerful man in Hollywood  (according to Oscars’ Speeches)

My passion and dedication to Oscars’ acceptance speeches brought me to a conclusion: Harvey is frequently PRESENT!

This year he was up with five movies on the road to Oscars including: August: Osage County, Philomena, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Butler and Fruitvale Station.

He describes himself as an hard reader, confirming the fact that the most important thing for a Producer is a Good Screenplay.

In the late 1970's he funded the Miramax, the company won the first Academy Award in 1996 with The English Patient. The success was repeated again with Shakespeare in Love and Good Will Hunting.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein 

  Harvey with his ACADEMY AWARD for the Best Picture in 1998 "Shakespeare in Love"

In 2005 again together with his brother Bob he founded The Weinstein Company (TWC) that has the HQ in NYC.

 Robert Rodriguez, Harvey, Quentin Tarantino and Bob.

 Weinstein Company Logo

 

Harvey and President Barack Obama

I think he's up to become the next winner of The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award a prize for "Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production." 

The Irving G. Thalberg Award

I have analyzed the Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database to check how many times he’s present.

http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/ 

Check out the results:

1993 (66th) Academy Awards

Actress in a Leading Role: Holly Hunter “The Piano”

“… Harvey and Bob Weinstein, you also break my heart with your uncensored passion and support for this movie…”

1993 (66th) Academy Awards

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen): Jane Campion “The Piano”

“… And a special thank you to the Miramax brothers, Harvey and Bob, for bringing this film to America. Thank you very much…”

1994 (67th) Academy Awards

Actress in a Supporting Role: Dianne Wiest “Bullets over Broadway”

“…My thanks also to Tracey Jacobs, Bobby Greenhut, Jean Doumanian, and Harvey and Bob Weinstein…”

1996 (69th) Academy Awards

Directing: Anthony Minghella “The English Patient”

“… To Bob and Harvey Weinstein and all the great team at Miramax. Bless you, guys. Thank you very much indeed…”

1996 (69th) Academy Awards

Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score): Rachel Portman “Emma”

“… The producers of "Emma",  Harvey Weinstein and everyone at Miramax...”

1996 (69th) Academy Awards

Best Picture: Saul Zaentz, Producer “The English Patient”

“… And then Harvey and Bob Weinstein came through and financed the picture -- and we had final cut, though. And all, everyone just who was involved, with all the people at Miramax who were wonderful in working on the picture…”

1996 (69th) Academy Awards

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published): Billy Bob Thornton “Sling Blade”

“… Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, God bless 'em...”

1997 (70th) Academy Awards

Actor in a Supporting Role: Robin Williams “Good Will Hunting”

“…I want to thank the Meshpucha Weinstein. Mazel tov!...”

1997 (70th) Academy Awards

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen): Ben Affleck, Matt Damon “Good Will Hunting”

“… Harvey Weinstein, who believed in us and made this movie…”

1998 (71st) Academy Awards

Actress in a Leading Role: Gwyneth Paltrow “Shakespeare in Love”

“… But I would like to thank Harvey Weinstein and everybody at Miramax Films for their undying support of me…”

1998 (71st) Academy Awards

Foreign Language Film: Italy (accepted by director Roberto Benigni) “Life Is Beautiful”

“… Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Film[s], thank you very much for what you did…”

1998 (71st) Academy Awards

Best Picture: David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick and Marc Norman, Producers “Shakespeare in Love”

DONNA GIGLIOTTI:
The other guy that we really need to thank, though, is Harvey Weinstein, who had the guts, the courage, the commitment to make this picture and get it done. Here he is. Say a few words...
HARVEY WEINSTEIN:
This was an ensemble film, and it took an ensemble team to make it. I want to thank at Disney: Michael Eisner and Joe Roth, who've given me great latitude and great support. At Universal: Edgar Bronfman, Ron Meyer, Stacey, Nadia Bronson, Chris McGurk. At Miramax: My brilliant Meryl Poster, my head of production who rocks the universe and makes us look good. Oh man, Julie Goldstein, who is the most persevering, brilliant executive producer. To Bob Osher, to Mark Gill and Marcy Granata, who are the one and two most dynamite marketing team.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN:
I'm getting there, okay. I don't know, we made this movie -- this is a movie about life and art. And art and life combining is called magic. For me, this was a great experience, a passion, for five years. And nobody inspires me more than my brother Bob, who is my partner and best friend every day. My loving wife Eve; my two rotten kids, Lily and Emma; my beautiful nieces, Sarah and Nicole; and my mom Miriam. The Miriam of Miramax [music begins to play] who makes Jewish mothers look good. Okay, and the rest of you guys, thank you.

1998 (71st) Academy Awards

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen): Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard “Shakespeare in Love”

“…I'd like to thank on behalf of Tom, everybody at Miramax who worked so hard, especially Harvey Weinstein, a man of dedication and vision…”

1999 (72nd) Academy Awards

Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Caine "The Cider House Rules”

“… I want to thank Harvey and Bob Weinstein and Meryl Poster at Miramax…”

1999 (72nd) Academy Awards

Foreign Language Film: Spain (accepted by director Pedro Almodóvar) “All about My Mother”

“… Harvey Weinstein, well listen, so, for just to have the one idea, consider my sisters' Oscar campaign. You know, they, they just lighting a lot of candles to these saints, presided by a photograph of my mother with Penélope and me next to a twig of laurel, which brings good luck…”

2002 (75th) Academy Awards

Actress in a Supporting Role: Catherine Zeta-Jones “Chicago”

“…Everyone involved in "Chicago." There's so many people. Rob Marshall, Harvey Weinstein, Craig, Neil, everybody, and all the cast and crew…”

2002 (75th) Academy Awards

Film Editing: Martin Walsh “Chicago”

“…Thank you. Bill Condon, for a fabulous script. Harvey, Meryl, Julie, Jen. Everybody at Miramax…”

2002 (75th) Academy Awards

Best Picture: Martin Richards, Producer (accompanied on stage by director Rob Marshall) “Chicago”

“... And then Harvey Weinstein came in with Meryl Poster and they stood by and they believed and they just stayed with me. And here I am. And oh my God, my mind is going. It truly is going…”

2002 (75th) Academy Awards

Sound: Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, David Lee “Chicago”

“…So Harvey Weinstein, thank you very much for that. And not to be redundant but, Rob, you're fantastic and thank you very much for everything…”

 2003 (76th) Academy Awards

Actress in a Supporting Role: Renée Zellweger “Cold Mountain”

“… Thank you for all that you taught me, for making me be better and for your friendship. My friends at Miramax, for making this film, especially Harvey and Meryl Poster. Quite a gamble. Thank you for doing it…”

2003 (76th) Academy Awards

Foreign Language Film: Canada (accepted by director Denys Arcand; accompanied on stage by producers Denise Robert and Daniel Louis) “The Barbarian Invasions”

“…Thank you, Harvey Weinstein, for putting your heart behind this film and shining the light on this. We'd really like to share this with you, and share it with the actors and the technicians who worked so well on this film...”

2004 (77th) Academy Awards

Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo “The Aviator”

“…to Harvey Weinstein. And all the entire art department, which, without them, it was impossible for me to do this for us. Thank you…”

2004 (77th) Academy Awards

Music (Original Score): Jan A.P. Kaczmarek “Finding Neverland”

“… I should certainly take opportunity to, as the first person in the room, to thank Harvey Weinstein for his support. And very thankful as well for supporting "Finding Neverland" and my case…”

 2008 (81st) Academy Awards

Actress in a Supporting Role: Penélope Cruz “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

“…Thank you, Harvey Weinstein…”

2009 (82nd) Academy Awards

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz “Inglourious Basterds”

“…And then I was introduced to Quentin Tarantino who was putting together an expedition that was equipped by Harvey Weinstein and Lawrence Bender and David Linde…”

2010 (83rd) Academy Awards

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth “The King's Speech”

“… The men who finessed this to the screen: Gareth, Emile, Iain, Xavier, and of course Harvey, who first took me on twenty years ago when I was a mere child sensation…”

2010 (83rd) Academy Awards

Best Picture: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers (accompanied on stage by 14 members of the cast and crew) “The King's Speech”

“… To our distribution partners, The Weinstein Company, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Momentum Pictures and Transmission Films, for your passion and commitment to this film…”

2011 (84th) Academy Awards

Costume Design: Mark Bridges “The Artist”

“…And Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, for getting it out to the world…”

2011 (84th) Academy Awards

Directing: Michel Hazanavicius “The Artist”

“…I want to thank the, the Harvey Weinstein Company, okay…”

2011 (84th) Academy Awards

Documentary (Feature): TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Rich Middlemas (accompanied on stage by producers Ed Cunningham, Glen Zipper, Seth Gordon) “Undefeated”

“…Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, Nigel Sinclair, Spitfire…”

2011 (84th) Academy Awards

Best Picture Thomas Langmann, Producer (accompanied on stage by director Michel Hazanavicius and 12 additional members of the cast and crew) “The Artist”

“…I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to you, members of the Academy, to you, Harvey, not only because we receive tonight the award that any filmmaker would ever dream to receive, but because you're offering me tonight the opportunity to pay tribute to a member of this Academy that I miss so much: the Oscar winner Claude Berri…”

 2012 (85th) Academy Awards

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz “Django Unchained”

“…I thank Harvey Weinstein and Amy Pascal, Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone…”