I've seen a lot of people complain about the absence of Tom Bombadil in either Ralph Bakshi's animated feature or Peter Jackson's movie. He's the most colorful character in the Lord Of The Rings, certainly one of the most memorable, why couldn't he have his bit part?
One easy answer is of course that he isn't very important, and doesn't move the plot along at all. Another is that he wouldn't make any sense to the uninitiated. But that's not really important. What is important is that I don't want to see him in the movie, and neither should anyone who has read the book. Because I don't want to see him the way the director sees him. Tom is a colorful character, and I'm sure that you as well as I have a vivid image of him in your imagination, your own idea of what Tom looks like. If someone tried to impose his vision of the character over mine, I know what I would do: I'd criticize and complain.
And, from my experience with LOTR fans, you'd all criticize.
Really, would you put in any movie a character that will attract confusion from one side and criticism - even anger - on the other, with very little in between?
In a Hollywood movie anyway