"I try really hard, actually."
Paulie says this to Juno after she tells him she loves him because he's cool without having to try. It speaks to the fact that what we see on the surface isn't always what is going on underneath. Even though Paulie has had difficulty speaking up to Juno about what he's feeling, he still feels things deeply. It is a comedic line, because in the midst of Juno's heartfelt admission, Paulie reveals that her perception doesn't line up with the reality, which is that he is not as naturally cool as she suspects.
"I'm just gonna go ahead and nip this thing in the bud. Cuz you know, they say pregnancy often leads to, you know... an infant."
Juno says this after finding out that she is pregnant. She is cavalier, flip even, which shows that she is independent, straightforward, and does not show her emotions very easily. This line reveals Juno's pragmatic side, and her sense that she has agency in the case of her pregnancy, even if it seems like a life-changing event.
"Oh, and she inexplicably mails me a cactus every Valentine's Day. And I'm like, "Thanks a heap, Coyote Ugly. This cactus-gram stings even worse than your abandonment.""
Juno says this about her mother, who is no longer in her life but sends her a cactus every year, as if this means she cares about her daughter. The cactus serves as a symbol for the fact that Juno's mother is far away and out of her life. Juno's response to her mother's abandonment is at once bitter and charmingly hilarious. She is glib and self-aware about being abandoned, and turns the negative experience into a funny one. Juno's humor is one of her main gifts.
Vanessa Loring: How do I look?
Bren: Like a new mom. Scared shitless.
When Vanessa first picks up the baby that Juno recently delivered, she is overjoyed and overwhelmed at once. She turns to Bren, Juno's salty stepmother, and asks how she looks. Bren tells her that she looks "scared shitless," which sounds like it is an insult, but in fact serves as an affirmation of the fact that Vanessa is ready to be a mom. In Bren's estimation, a huge part of motherhood is being "scared shitless," so the fact that Vanessa seems trepidatious means that she's up to the task.
"Excuse me. I am a sacred vessel, alright? All you've got in your stomach is Taco Bell."
When Juno gets an ultrasound, Leah is there with her and comments on the size of the baby's head. Defensively but playfully, Juno says this in retort. In classic quippy fashion, Juno takes the profundity of her situation and turns it into a joke. While Juno ironically refers to herself as a "sacred vessel"—referencing the perceived sanctity of motherhood—she tells Leah that she is less important, because instead of an infant in her stomach, she just has food from Taco Bell.
"As boyfriends go, Paulie Bleeker is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni. And I know people are supposed to fall in love before they reproduce, but—I guess normalcy isn't really our style."
Juno narrates this in voiceover at the end of the film as we see her riding her bike to Paulie Bleeker's house. Having had the baby, Juno is in a happy relationship with Paulie, and they are back to their innocent high school lives. She notes the fact that while most people fall in love and then have a baby together, she and Paulie did it the other way around. She uses this as further evidence of the fact that she and Paulie are totally unique, high school iconoclasts with their own singular style of doing things.
Gerta Rauss: So how far along are you?
Juno MacGuff: I'm a junior.
In her first meeting with Mark and Vanessa, Juno meets with their lawyer, Gerta Rauss. Gerta asks Juno how far she is in her pregnancy, but Juno misinterprets her question as being about what year she is in high school. This misinterpretation reveals the way that Juno is still very immature, a child, not yet ready to be a parent. While an adult would understand the parameters of a conversation about adoption more intuitively, Juno has to be reminded that they are talking about pregnancy and not about her progress through high school. This moment reveals Juno's youthful naivety, and serves as a comic misunderstanding.
"I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while."
Juno says this in voiceover after returning home from her disheartening afternoon at Mark and Vanessa's. Having cried in her van on the side of the highway and felt completely alone in the world, she returns home with a new determination to improve her situation. In the yard, she picks a flower and outlines her pregnant belly with it. This line portrays the fact that Juno is ready to return home and seek advice from her family. While Juno has been exceedingly independent and confident throughout, here she recognizes the humbling experience of returning home after having been away, connecting with her own vulnerability and need.
Vanessa Loring: Your parents are probably wondering where you are.
Juno MacGuff: Nah... I mean, I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?
This humorous exchange occurs after Vanessa arrives home to find Juno spending time with Mark alone. She is surprised that Juno would come over unannounced and hang out with her husband, suggesting that Juno's parents are probably worried. Without missing a beat, Juno assures her that she has already fulfilled every parent's worst nightmare, and so they aren't worried about her. This quote highlights Vanessa's growing discomfort with Juno's intimacy with her husband, as well as Juno's innocent and charming sense of humor.
Mac MacGuff: No, I know I mean who's the father, Juno?
Juno MacGuff: Umm... It's Paulie Bleeker.
Mac MacGuff: Paulie Bleeker?
Juno MacGuff: What?
Mac MacGuff: I didn't think he had it in him.
Leah: I know, right?
When Juno first tells her dad and Bren that she's pregnant, her dad immediately wants to know who the father is. While the stereotypical paternal response to the teen pregnancy might involve the father getting angry at the young man who knocked up his daughter, Mac is more concerned with the fact that he doesn't expect the meek and nerdy Paulie Bleeker to be able to get a girl pregnant. Leah heartily concurs that Bleeker doesn't really seem like the kind of virile man who could impregnate someone, and this subversion of traditional expected responses makes for one of the film's funniest moments.
