The Miramax Marketing Machine ... Why Does It Continue to Work?

In 1997, Miramax did finally have a film which deserved their push for an Oscar, Good Will Hunting. It got Robin Williams his Oscar, and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck a writing Oscar, both well deserved. But one right film does not forgive what has happened since. 1998 was the year it got so ugly that it was almost embarassing, and to this day, I am still flabbergasted by the choice. Miramax stepped up their campaigning to the ugliest level yet, and actually convinced Academy members that a small comedy like Shakespeare in Love was a better film than what has become an instant war classic, Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg deservedly won Best Director, but when the envelope was opened by Harrison Ford that night, Shakespeare in Love had won Best Picture of 1998. Just three years later, which film is more revered by almost anyone you ask? Twenty years from now, which film will be revisited and studied?

Dreamworks had to step up their Oscar campaigning to even compete on the level that Miramax was, and yet they lost. Thankfully, they won a wonderful revenge the next year when American Beauty won over The Cider House Rules. But once again, what was The Cider House Rules doing nominated for Best Picture and Director? Again, a lightweight film up for Oscar's top prize, and the Miramax machine was back at its good old ugly tricks again, convincing Academy members that Cider House was a good old fashioned feel good message movie that the Academy loves to honor.

And this year, they did it again, convincing Academy members that a fluff film like Chocolat should be up for Best Picture, and it no doubt kicked out the much more deserving Almost Famous. I bet if you looked at the vote totals, Almost Famous came in sixth. It obviously has no chance whatsoever of winning this prize, so what is it doing here?

I am puzzled why this Miramax marketing continues to work. So many people have commented on it, and yet, it still works. Can someone tell me why it continues to work? What is Miramax doing that I am missing? I won't even venture to guess ... I have read a number of things, and it's clear that Miramax uses the most aggressive tactics of any studio to get in Academy's members' faces and convince them to vote for whichever film they

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