Forgive me for horning in on your discussion, but I've been enjoying peeking at the thread all day while I was stuck at work and was just DYING to join in! ;)
That part of the movie you mention here just kills me. The second time I saw it, I picked up on your observation about Pippin's guilt over Gandalf's fall. And after viewing #4 last night, I picked up on why Frodo would also be struggling with his guilt too--he was the one who had decided they would go through the mines. That lonely moment when Aragorn calls Frodo to get them going again really gets to me. It also seemed to foreshadow Frodo leaving the Fellowship later on....
So many heartbreaking moments in this film....< snif>
Next time, I'm remembering to take a kleenex box with me...sheesh!
-penny