Hollywood ? It’s not even the middle of December yet and Hollywood has set an all-time box-office record for the year, with domestic theatrical revenue having passed the previous record — 2007’s $9.68 billion — with a possible $10.5 billion mark in sight before year’s end.

It’s pretty impressive when all these sky-high grosses come less than two years after the end of the ugly 2007-08 writers’ strike, in which every studio executive was crying poverty and bemoaning the end of the industry as we know it, saying theatrical moviegoing was being wiped out by piracy, home entertainment systems and all sorts of horrific Internet threats.

You could argue that 2009 is an anomaly, an usually good year for satisfying mainstream pictures: “Star Trek,” “District 9,” “The Hangover,” “Fast & Furious,” “Up,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “The Blind Side” and “Paranormal Activity” all topped $100 million in the U.S.

It’s also a truism that moviegoing always goes up during a recession, with audiences using it as a cheap substitute for taking a vacation.

Still, let’s give credit where it’s due. People still dig going out to the movies. It’s a habit that remains firmly in our cultural DNA.

But this year’s box-office boom also can be traced to a host of filmmakers stepping up to the plate and hitting a home run — but without stooping to conquer. I would argue that we have an entire generation of younger filmmakers who not only are making cool films but are eager to connect with a mass audience. Critics are always celebrating the likes of P.T. Anderson and Martin Scorsese, but it’s time we gave props to today’s smart commercial filmmakers.

Whether it’s Todd Phillips or John Hamburg in comedy, popcorn auteurs such as J.J. Abrams and Pete Docter or promising newcomers such as Neill Blomkamp and Oren Peli, we have a range of gifted younger filmmakers all clearly at home making mainstream entertainment who can often provide subversive inspiration.

With specialty films in decline, we also should give credit to the industry’s Big Six studios, which often have allowed filmmaking talents to put new, personal twists on familiar commercial genres.

The industry has a host of smart, filmmaker-friendly executives who have struck a balance between art and commerce. Today’s executives, notably Warner Bros.’ Jeff Robinov, Sony’s Amy Pascal, Fox’s Tom Rothman, Universal’s Donna Langley and Paramount’s Rob Moore, are savvy relationship builders who have encouraged the kind of loyalty that keeps filmmakers in the studio fold for years.

Records are made to be broken, but this year’s box office is probably no fluke. It’s never been more fun to go to the movies.