The 88th Academy Awards will be handed out this weekend (Feb. 28). This year’s Best Picture nominees include an unusually high number of films adapted from books, (“The Big Short,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Brooklyn,” “Revenant,” “The Martian,” “Spotlight,” “Room”). Films nominated in other categories also featured book adaptations (“Steve Jobs,” “The Danish Girl,” “Carol” to name a few).

In advance of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony we asked NIU’s Scott Balcerzak, associate professor of film and media studies: “What makes a great screenplay adaptation of a book?” He shared his thoughts for this “Speak Your Mind” video.