Not to be outdone the day after Fox Searchlight dropped “Hitchcock” on the season, Focus Features would like to remind everyone of its own last-minute addition: Gus Van Sant’s “Promised Land.” The film, starring and written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, has launched its first trailer and it’s clear it’s dealing in shades of shifting American values. That could be very powerful this season.

Anne and I had a discussion about “zeitgeist” films in this morning’s podcast, and though films like “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty” will speak to that, something like “Promised Land” — which seems to be telling a story of the capitalization of the country on the backs of its citizens — couldn’t be more relevant. Not to put too much pressure on it, but that could be catnip.

Van Sant’s last brush with Oscar came for Focus’s own “Milk” in 2008. Nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing and Best Original Score came knocking, as well as wins for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay. What will his latest yield? We’ll find out soon enough.

Check out the new trailer below, courtesy of Apple.

“Promised Land” opens in New York and Los Angeles on December 28.