Ep 90 – For the Moment – Love, Leaving, and the Air War at Home

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January 2, 2026
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Rosie the Reviewer
Air War, BCATP, Canada, For the Moment, Russell Crowe

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Description

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss For the Moment (1993), written and directed by Aaron Kim Johnston. Set in rural Manitoba in 1942, the film follows a group of Canadian women and young Commonwealth airmen brought together by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Though fictional, the story draws heavily on the real experiences of Johnston’s parents and captures the temporary, emotionally charged connections formed far from the war’s front lines.

We talk about early-career Russell Crowe, understated performances, and why this quiet, character-driven film feels refreshingly honest about wartime romance, loss, and choices that do not come with neat endings.

For the Moment trailer

Historical context for For the Moment

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)

For the Moment is set against the backdrop of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, one of the largest aviation training programs in history. Launched in 1939, the BCATP turned Canada into the primary training ground for Allied aircrew, earning it the nickname “the aerodrome of democracy” by US President Roosevelt. By the end of the war, more than 130,000 pilots, navigators, bombardiers, air gunners, wireless operators, and flight engineers had graduated from the program.

Canada hosted 151 training schools across the country, chosen for their distance from combat zones, favourable flying conditions, and proximity to North American industrial supply chains. Check out this very cool project with a map of all the Canadian training schools. The scale of the program required massive investment in airfields, aircraft, instructors, and infrastructure, reshaping both the Royal Canadian Air Force and the country’s economy.

Training, Risk, and Loss on the Home Front

Although Canada was far from the front lines, training wasn’t without risk. Between 1939 and 1945, over 850 trainees were killed in flying accidents during BCATP operations.

Women, Communities, and Wartime Change

The arrival of thousands of foreign airmen into small Canadian towns altered daily life. Local women formed relationships, friendships, and marriages with trainees from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and occupied Europe. Over 3,700 airmen married Canadian women during the war, with many choosing to remain in Canada afterwards.

Canada’s War Effort and National Politics

Canada’s big role in the BCATP was also political. English and French Canadians had differing opinions over overseas conscription. By committing to aircrew training instead, Canada made a big contribution to the war effort while avoiding some of the more controversial topics, like sending an expeditionary force to fight overseas.

A Lasting Legacy

The BCATP helped establish Canada as a major aviation nation. Many airfields built during the war are still in use today, and the program laid the groundwork for a strong post-war aviation sector. In Manitoba, where a big chunk of For the Moment was filmed, this history is preserved at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon, which houses aircraft and artefacts from the era.

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