A PLAN to push YOU CAN COUNT ON ME star LAURA LINNEY for the OSCARS has backfired.

Production company PARAMOUNT CLASSICS last week (beg19FEB01) invited several ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES members to a party for Oscar-nominated Linney, to be hosted by MARTIN SCORSESE and the other producers of her hit movie.

When guests, including DOMINICK and GRIFFIN DUNNE, and ART and KIM GARFUNKEL, arrived with the expectation of mingling with Scorsese, they were informed the illustrious movie-maker was actually in Rome making GANGS OF NEW YORK .

A partygoer reveals, "Some people only went because they thought Scorsese would be there. They were furious at this blatant attempt to hustle up votes." The actress's representative CINDY BERGER insists, "They shouldn't feel that way at all. All the movie's producers hosted, and we wouldn't have left Scorsese's name off...Everybody knows he's in Italy." (KW/WNWCPS/PDD)

Source: WENN