If you read the books, you'll see Sam was not overplayed, and the books have ZERO - NADA - homosexual tones of any kind.
When I was a teenageer and young adult, I read and re-read LOTR numerous times. Drew maps. Learned runes. The whole thing, could recite parts of the books.
Have the extended versions of the movie.
IMO, Frodo was miscast. In the book, he was not a squeamish, delicate youth. He was a stolid man of 50.
Aragorn was also miserably miscast. Mr. "No Blood for Oil" was not kingly. Theoden was kingly. Mr. "No Blood"s eyes are too close together, his voice not commanding, his presence too self absorbed, and his persona more of a loser/loner than a descendent of the line of kings. Especially his voice was bad.
Just a couple of thoughts.
But compared to Viggo "The Lights Are On But Nobody's Home" Mortenson, the Aragon character is the second coming of Robert E. Lee. I was just boggled by the interviews I saw; you could practically see in his eyes and out his ears.
(/trashy celeb bashing)