Gold!!! I personally would have forgiven a ton of that shitty movie if they simply handn't killed Kirk. That was the unforgivable sin to me about that movie.
Do you guys have any idea how much that would rock? I can picture Scotty breaking down in tears to see his friend after what to him was probably been a decade since the last time he saw him. Spock, the more mellow and wise character he is by this time (as seen in ST09) would probably give Kirk a big hug, while the TNG crew watches, and realizes these great men are unofficially passing the torch to them. I wouldn't be surprised if the movie had made twice as much profit just by writing it like that.
A nice little after the credits scene in Generations of Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Bones (CG'd I guess) would have been neat. Kirk: Scotty, how are you still so youthful? Scotty: The Enterprise-D saved me too. Kirk: Hold on, the Enterprise-D didn't save me, I saved it.