This is where, in my opinion, we have the first Major Change from the book to the film.
There is a DIRECT link between the wearer of the Ring and Sauron. This has a knock on effect to the rest of the film, but for now I'll just discuss the scenes in this section:
Gandalf can't touch the Ring without contact to Sauron. He has to wait for Frodo to pick up the Ring himself. Frodo also does not put the Ring on during his tenure in the Shire, (or at least wear it on a chain) unlike the book. This leads us to the following Changes in these scenes.
Frodo has no real attachment to the Ring over the 17 years he was 'owning' the Ring. It stays in an envelope in his chest - (and he has to dig to find the envelope when Gandalf comes back) - We do not see Frodo's INABILITY to throw the Ring in the fireplace, which to me is a very important clue to what will happen at the Sammath Naur.
Merry and Pippin (and Sam) do not have a chance to build up their 'Conspriacy' (as the scriptwriters don't include their investigations of Frodo - but why would they if Frodo has the Ring packed away in a chest?) We therefore have a huge coincidence later in that they bump into each other on the way. They just get dragged along.....
Other points
Silly point, but in Jackson's middle earth we do not have a 7 year siege of Barad dur - the year 3434 when Isildur got the Ring was when the siege started, not 3441 when it actually took place.
Another reason for book - film changes - We've ramped up the atmosphere in finding Frodo's Ring is actually the One Ring - in the book Frodo and co hang around for a few more moths before leaving - this just couldn't happen film wise (everything moving at a quick pace, hightened atmosphere etc) so I understand this change. Gandalf doesn't tell Frodo in the book he's going to see Saruman, but again this is used because there is no NARRATION in the film. Jackson gets Gandalf to tell us instead of a narrator's voice.
Another slight change because of Narration - Sam tells Frodo if he takes another step it will be the farthest away from home he's ever been - Tolkien describes this -
Quote:
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Sam stood by him. His round eyes were wide open – for he was looking across lands he had never seen to a new horizon
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Jackon uses Gandalf telling the hobbits to go to Bree instead of Rivendell - I think he does this instead of having the Letter scene at the Inn - The hobbits in the book follow Aragorn mainly because of Gandalf's letter - in the film they mainly follow him because they don't know were to go after Bree......