Scarlett Johansson's performance in 'Her' ineligible for a Golden Globe

It was a matter of debate whether or not Scarlett Johansson would be eligible for a Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role in Spike Jonze's new film Her. The Hollywood Foreign Press made it clear that she would not, after getting some pushback from distributor Warner Bros, according to Entertainment Weekly. But the decision isn't necessarily outlandish, considering Johansson never appears in the movie. Her character is simply her voice.

That doesn't mean she doesn't deliver a solid performance. The Rome Film Festival gave Johansson the Best Actress award last week for Her. Jonze's romantic drama will be out Dec. 18 in limited release and features Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with the woman's voice that is the artificial intelligence system for his computer. Basically, Johansson's voice is like Siri, except she is named "Samantha."

Known for her sultry voice, Johansson is perfect for the role, even she doesn't appear onscreen. "Samantha" is much more involved with Phoenix's character than Siri ever could be. She speaks to him in a small earpiece, with him all the time, and she can see what he sees through a camera pinned on his jacket. It's quite the intimate relationship, even though she doesn't physically exist.

Despite the Golden Globe's refusal to acknowledge her performance, the Academy Awards and Screen Actors Guild disagree and have said that her work does make her eligible for the supporting actress nomination.

The whole concept is debatable and has been in certain ways for a while. From voice work in cartoons or Andy Serkis as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, it's difficult to define what is acting and what isn't because perhaps it involves the contribution of more than one person.

Regardless, Johansson's role in Her is said to be entirely central to the storyline, and in fact, not having a physical body visible to Phoenix's character makes her ability to convince the audience that she is a real person or mind even that much more impressive.