First of all, I think it is a bad idea to make a movie set less than 35 years in the future. Your movie will seem ridiculous after 30 years because nothing that you predicted came true.
Secondly, there were about 100 lines of dialogue and the movie was 2.5 hours long. This movie almost made me give up my long term goal all together. There were shots that were about 10 minutes long where nothing happened but stars and galaxies were flying past (and this was filmed in 1968, the galaxies weren't that cool) underscored by creepy chanting music. I guess Stanley Kubrick thought we would want to stare that long at such amazing special effects. There were many shots where we would watch the astronaut just eat for 2 minutes.
The one thing I can say about the film is that it was meant to be disturbing and it was. But mostly because of the soundtrack and the syrupy sweet voice of the evil computer.
At the end of the movie, I had to look at this site to figure out what the heck I just watched. I couldn't understand the plot or who or why things were happening. Believe me when I say that I was totally dumfounded when the movie ended with a starchild staring down at Earth still in its amniotic sac. I had never seen this starchild before! Where did it come from and why and what the...? Why did he think that would be a great last shot? It didn't explain anything.
I have been thinking about how this movie could have been nominated for 4 Academy Awards, and I think I have it figured out. The academy members who went to see it thought, "Holy cow, I don't get it. That must mean I am not smart. I can't let anyone know that I am not smart! I better vote for this movie!" Then as they walked out of the theater, they casually mention to their neighbor how groundbreaking and deep this movie was. The neighbor, not wanting to look stupid, agreed. Then when someone wanted to sound intellectual, they mentioned this movie and how much they enjoyed this sketch of the true nature of humans. Therefore, the popularity of the movie was spread by word of mouth, with no one wanting to say that they didn't get it. And voila`! A classic movie was born!
