Those Were the Days (2000) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set primarily on a bustling college campus where rival fraternities compete for attention through dances and pranks. The campus serves as the social hub where the romance develops amid schemes, alliances, and public displays of affection. Key secondary locations include the town jail and courtroom, where legal consequences create tension and shape the couple's fate.

• college campus setting
• campus life
• fraternity rivalries
• location

The narrative uses a flashback structure, alternating between the present day (where the couple celebrates their 35th wedding anniversary) and flashbacks to their college years. The college scenes are set in the past, depicting exuberant campus life, rivalries, and youthful mischief. This framing shows how decisions made in youth rippled into their adult relationship.

• time period
• flashback structure
• college days
• present day
• timeline

The romance follows Petey Simmons, a wealthy and confident newcomer, and Martha Scroggs, the judge's daughter. Their relationship develops under the scrutiny of campus rivalries and the danger of legal consequences. The story emphasizes how love can weather mistakes and time, with both partners committing to each other despite the chaos surrounding their courtship.

• romance
• love story
• Petey
• Martha
• relationship

The film uses memory as a central narrative device, weaving flashbacks to show how decisions made in youth ripple into adulthood. By revisiting the college days, the story explores nostalgia, regret, and the long arc of a shared life. The framing device of the older couple reminiscing reinforces the whimsical and sentimental mood throughout the film.

• memory
• nostalgia
• flashbacks
• past
• reflection

Youthful mischief escalates into real consequences, driving the characters' motivations and growth. Petey's pranks, including tampering with schedules and vandalism, threaten his future and create the central conflict. The story explores how rebellion can redefine destiny, with the tension between freedom and responsibility forming the emotional core.

• rebellion
• youthful mischief
• pranks
• consequences
• campus culture

Petey Simmons is a wealthy newcomer to the college whose confidence and charm attract attention from rival fraternities and the campus crowd. His ego leads him to reckless behavior and pranks, yet his charisma helps him maneuver through consequences and win Martha's heart. He represents the archetype of a charming troublemaker whose actions drive both the comedy and romance.

• Petey Simmons
• protagonist
• charming troublemaker
• college student

Martha Scroggs is the judge's daughter who becomes the object of Petey's affection. She is smitten with Petey and takes bold, strategic steps to stay close to him, even orchestrating an arrest to share a jail cell. Her actions reveal a mix of romance, risk-taking, and calculated thinking that helps bring the couple together.

• Martha Scroggs
• judge daughter
• love interest
• romantic pursuit

The Judge is a stern authority figure who sentences Petey and whose decisions profoundly influence the young couple's fate. As Martha's father, his interaction with his daughter adds a layer of family dynamics to the courtship. His presence introduces the theme of law and order versus youthful rebellion, creating tension between romantic pursuit and legal consequences.

• Judge
• authority figure
• Martha father
• courtroom
• sentencing

Despite being categorized as Crime, Romance, Action, and Drama, the film leans predominantly light and romantic. Crime elements like arrests and jail time are treated as comedic plot devices rather than serious dramatic stakes. The tone maintains a low emotional weight overall, using the threat of legal consequences to drive romantic pursuit rather than genuine suspense.

• genre
• romance
• crime
• tone
• comedy

The film opens and frames itself around the couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in the present day. From this anchor point, the story flashes back to their college years to explain how they met and fell in love. This structure reinforces the nostalgic, whimsical mood and ensures the audience understands the long-term success of their relationship from the start.

• flashback structure
• anniversary
• framing device
• narrative technique