I can see how Portman could relate- without her own family connections, rhinoplasty, and campaigning managers, she'd still probably a trust-fund baby with a liberal arts-degree (Harvard or not) living in her hometown of NYC too, trying to make ends meet.
BTW, I didn't really HATE this movie per se, but after reading somewhere that if it wasn't for Lena's OWN connections (re: mom) this wouldn't have even aired at the Tribeca film festival that year. This certainly wasn't a masterpiece or the first of its kind.. "mumblecore" or not. Gretchen was just as cringe-worthy, realistic, but also had a MUCH better score, acting, and even better settings IMHO. If you enjoyed this film, you'll LOVE Gretchen!
Welcome to Hell, where white nerds argue for days what true hip hop is on The Tree of Life board.