Well, there’s a writers’ strike on in Hollywood. And if this goes anything like the last one (in 1988), you can expect a dreary year of movies. So I’ve prepared an early guide to the year 2008. Each month, instead of seeing a new release, you can turn to these films. Each was either released in the month listed, or played through it. All are Hollywood movies, since indies will be alive and well.

January: Nobody’s Fool (1994), R
Januarys generally offer dumb comedies, nasty horror, and the occasional uncategorizable melodrama such as this delightful adaptation of Richard Russo’s novel by director Robert Benton. Paul Newman plays a 62-year-old spy (at the age of 70!), who has no intention of taking responsibility for himself—or letting anyone else off the hook.

George Clooney in Out of Sight. (Courtesy photo)

February: Wonder Boys (2000), R
Curtis Hanson followed up the phenomenal L.A. Confidential with this sweet, moody adaptation of Michael Chabon’s novel. Michael Douglas is a Pittsburg college professor unable to complete his second book. Somehow, Douglas is both musty and a pothead, and marvelously supported by Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., and the great Frances McDormand.

March: The Birdcage (1996), R
It’s a little out of date now, but this American remake of the French farce gave Nathan Lane his only good screen vehicle. Robin Williams is muted as Lane’s other half, and Dan Futterman and Calista Flockheart make for some annoying about-to-be-weds. But Lane and an insane Hank Azaria give this movie enough big laughs to earn another viewing.

April: Holes (2003), PG
Skyrocketing Shia LeBeuf was miscast as chubby Stanley Yelnats in this adaptation of the snappy little Louis Sachar novel, but he is terrific just the same. About a strange juvenile detention camp and the 100-year-old mystery buried beneath it, Holes is a fun movie without a perfect audience. Definitely worth a look as a smart, satisfying diversion.

May: Much Ado About Nothing (1993), PG-13
At the time he made this, his third film version of a Shakespearean play, Kenneth Branagh looked to be one of the brightest lights of cinema. His star has since dimmed significantly, but he can be seen at the peak of his considerable talent here. Brannagh and then-wife Emma Thompson are too good to be true as dueling Beatrice and Benedict. Even accounting for Keanu Reeves’s morose presence, Much Ado is still the most accessible, energetic Shakespeare adaptation yet.

June: In the Line of Fire (1993), R
A crackerjack thriller made by professionals. Clint Eastwood is the aging Secret Service agent who thinks he should have saved Kennedy’s life back in 1963. John Malkovich is the psycho who decides to torment Clint with a new assassination. It’s a silly premise that makes for a great cat-and-mouse thriller.

Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon in The River Wild. (Courtesy photo)

July: Out of Sight (1998), R
The best of many Elmore Leonard adaptations. George Clooney is the ex-con planning a new job. Jennifer Lopez is the parole officer who tracks him down. Out of Sight propelled Clooney permanently from TV star to movie star, reinvented indie king Steven Soderbergh as the master of smart mainstream, and led us to expect great things from Lopez. A tough, bloody little gem.

August: Executive Decision (1996), R
This airborne thriller handles a large cast in a small space and features the now-famous surprise death of a main character. Full of nice surprises and some unconventional casting for a mainstream Hollywood actioner.

September: The River Wild (1994), PG-13
You know, Meryl Streep’s action movie. Streep is an expert whitewater rafter trying to patch things up with husband David Straithairn and son Joseph Mazzello while navigating a particularly nasty river. Even nastier is thief Kevin Bacon, who decides to hitch a ride. Contained and tense, with a cast that significantly elevates the okay script.

October: School of Rock (2003), PG-13
I don’t consider this quite the classic that some do—I’m still mad that substitute music teacher Jack Black and tightly-wound Principal Joan Cusack don’t cause more fireworks. But this is a sweet tale of one outcast inspiring others, and getting inspiration from them. With a perfect vehicle for his comic and musical personae, Jack Black became the first of the unconventional comedy leading men who now rule the screens.

Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can. (Courtesy photo)

November: Monsters, Inc. (2001), G
Remember this forgotten gem? So it isn’t exactly overlooked, but this Pixar delight is an ideal holiday movie, with irresistible monster designs and tremendous voice work by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. Even Billy Crystal grows on you. And no one with little kids can resist 2-year-old human “Boo”—the best real-audio children’s voicing since the heyday of Peanuts.

December: Catch Me if You Can (2002), PG-13
I’m not sure why this isn’t more highly considered. I think it is one of the great pure-entertainment movies of recent years. Steven Spielberg improves on the real life story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who masqueraded as an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer while cashing fake checks all across the country. Leonardo DiCaprio is great as Frank, and Tom Hanks overcomes his woeful Boston accent as his dogged pursuer, Carl Hanratty. Sunny and lively, with another great score by John Williams. Catch Me if You Can is the perfect movie to curl up with on a December day.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California, and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.