It is the story of a woman named Hannah, who learns as a young adult that she survived a failed abortion attempt.

October Baby was inspired by a YouTube video chronicling the life experiences of Gianna Jessen, who was born after a failed abortion attempt.

Hannah meets with her parents and a doctor, who quotes passages from her journal that she has been feeling lost and unwanted.

Jason invites her to go on a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana with a group of his friends for spring break.

Her father arrives to take her home, having found out she lied to him about being with others beside Jason, and about checking in with her doctor.

Hannah experiences an epiphany and finds she is able to forgive her biological mother and forget about the botched abortion.

He decided to make the film after Christian filmmaker Alex Kendrick challenged him: "What is your purpose?

Gary Goldstein in the Los Angeles Times wrote that October Baby is "a film whose poignancy is hard to deny whatever side of the abortion debate you fall on."

While he found fault with the script, he praised Jasmine Guy's performance, saying she was "superb in one beautifully wrought scene as the ex-abortion clinic nurse who later witnessed Hannah's birth.

"[10] Roger Ebert also praised Guy's performance, but overall found the film wanting, writing: "the film as a whole is amateurish and ungainly, can't find a consistent tone, is too long [...] and is photographed with too many beauty shots that slow the progress.

[4] Joni Hannihan of the Florida Baptist Witness wrote, "the movie sends strong messages about the beauty of life, the importance of each life—but it's not preachy" and found the film "young" and "refreshing.

However, the romance between Hannah and Jason was found to be lacking in depth and one of the characters on the road trip unbelievable.

But the highlight of the film was portraying "how liberating and joyous forgiveness is—both giving it and receiving it—without putting implausible, sermonizing dialogue into their characters' mouths.

"[14] The October Baby filmmakers believe the gulf between the reviewer and the ticket buyer scores dramatizes a rift between critics and conservative moviegoers.