Essex, I'm glad you mentioned the scene from the book. I knew there was something similar, but I couldn't remember what.
I'll have to forego the elevated status that cynicism gives & admit that I loved the bowing scene, and yes, I even got teary-eyed the first time I watched it. I hate superfluous "feel good" scenes as much as anyone, but I can't count this scene among them. I suppose much of the credit for that goes not to Jackson, but to Tolkien for crafting the story which led up to it. The scene is not (in my opinion) over-the-top because the pain and darkness that precede it are so intense, and after following Sam & Frodo on such a harrowing journey the honor seems, if anything, less than what they deserve. At the same time, knowing how humble the hobbits have always been it's obvious that
they don't see it that way. Still, I can't really understand the inclusion of Merry and Pippin either, but it somehow felt right to see them standing with Frodo & Sam.
As for the
bedroom scene...
I saw a video clip of it before actually watching the movie, and I thought it was a spoof. Slow motion? Gandalf cackling like a maniac? The unavoidable "orgy" analogy? I can't imagine what possessed PJ...