Great movie, but did peter jackson read the books? - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Reviews

Let me start out by saying I LOVED this movie....BUT(yes there's a but) I really wonder if Jackson just skimmed the books...for example... Things altered-changed left out by Jackson in this one(the list is greater than both Fellowship and Towers combined): Grima throwing the palantir down-I'm sure people were wondering how that palantir got there The scouring of the shire-need I say more? Where was Saruman this entire movie? He was in the books... The whole Denethor/palantir/saga-I'm sure people were sitting there wondering why Denethor was crazy. Also, he didn't jump off the top of the city when he was on fire. The negotiation in front of the Black Gate-one of my favorite parts of the book. What happened to the meeting with the "mouth of Sauron" Elrond and Narsil-anyone who's read the books knows this didn't happen. Aragon got Narsil back when the fellowship left in the first book, and the book made mention to it multiple times in Fellowship and Towers-Elrond never came back. The Oath of the Undead/ships/Dunedain(lack thereof)-the undead only helped Aragorn CAPTURE the ships-after that their oath was fulfilled and they left. THEN some of the Dunedain and the Dol Amroth took over the ships with Aragorn and sailed to Minas Tirith to victory. The spotlight eye a.k.a. Sauron(I think you get the picture)-yeah...the "eye of sauron" was figurative. The movies made it out like the eye WAS sauron. The healing between pelennor and the black gate battles-very important to the development of the stories of Eowyn, Faramir, etc. the final debate before the Battle at the Black Gate-very important dialogue showing Aragorn's power and the desparation of the upcoming battle Gollum/Sam/Frodo-Gollum never tried to turn Sam and Frodo against each other as he did in the movie. I *DID* like the moment when the Rohirrim were about to attack and then attacked...marvelous. Unfortunately, Last Samurai will probably get swept by this at the Oscars.