Plus, the Scouring shows that even their little hobbity "paradise" is not untouchable. The hardest blow for the hobbits was seeing their home destroyed, but with this part taken out it's just all "La dee da, we saved the world and now we're going back to our perfect home! Go us!" I would have loved to have seen the mallorn tree there, especially. And it provides the proper deaths of Saruman and Grima, not what PJ's got in store! (Check out
this thread if you don't mind spoilers.)
Although I must say the hobbits cheekily riding by the old guy sweeping the walkway is priceless.
