It's not hard to understand Mia's fixation of Connor. Whether you're referring to her conflict with her younger sister, the lack of attention she receives from her mother, or her isolation from other people her age, finding someone to latch on to was important for her. Connor was the exact person to do that and act as the parental figure she needed since he showed her more kindness than her family did. Or, at least, this is your initial impression of him. The more you see of his behavior (giving her money to buy alcohol underage, killing a fish around her, having varous one-night stands with her mother, touching her suggestively when carrying her to bed), the more rough around the edges he seems. Though subtle at first, his questionable behavior culminates in their sex scene and his reaction after the fact which makes the film's emotional core all the more profound. Mia needs love and attention more than anything, but nobody she comes across is able to provide her with such, nor act as an appropriate role model or parental figure. In fact, few scenes have gotten to me as much as her synchronized dancing session with her family at the end. It's the first time in the film the three of them bond together, showing they could've potentially gotten along with each other in the right setting, except it happened too late at that point. While Mia isn't the most likable character, you still feel sympathy for her as her compassion (caring for the safety of a horse) and her ambitions (starting a successful career as a dancer) are made clear and act as counterpoints to her rough-on-the-surface, volatile behavior. Overall, it's a powerful film which I won't be forgetting about anytime soon.
Review of Fish Tank
