Yeah, there's that.I guess I should add that I am mostly referring to the unnecesarry changes that have nothing to do with how long the films are.
But in defense of the movies, following the books closely wouldn't work in a movie. E.g., people would get bored and leave the theaters before Frodo et al. even get out of the Shire.
So some liberties had to be taken. Others were much more optional (and annoying).