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To be sure, other cinematic eras seemed to match the mood of the nation. The 1970s made “malaise” and “Watergate” household terms, and also was a golden age of serious, if cynical, cinema.

Given today’s zeitgeist, it’s hard to imagine more storybook stories like last year’s two most-nominated films, “Hugo” and “The Artist,” soon seizing the nation’s imagination.

Instead, a sense of the public’s pulse, as well as a glance back at the headlines (especially those chronicling the concurrent rise in inequality and the stock market), suggest that the remake of “The Great Gatsby,” due to be released in May, may just be a hit.

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John Rash is a Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist