Juno MacGuff is a sixteen-year-old who after a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend Paulie, learns that she's pregnant. Yes, having a baby, especially at a young age, can dramatically affect the rest of young woman's life, and yes, it's nothing to be taken too lightly, but on the other hand: it's not the end of the world. How could a perfectly normal thing like a pregnancy be a totally awful thing? She decides to carry the baby to term and finds what seems like an ideal yuppie couple to adopt it, but everything falls apart. In the course of her pregnancy, Juno discovers that growing up isn't just about making the best of the mess you find yourself in, but figuring out what's best when that's not always clear.