I caught John Scheinfeld‘s Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everbody Talkin’ About Him)? for the second time last night, having first seen it last February at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. My reaction back then was one of admiration mixed with personal anger at Nilsson’s high-octane self-destructiveness, which is pretty much the focus of the film’s final third. (In real life it kicked in right after the success of his landmark 1971 album “Nilsson Schmilsson”.) But for some reason this aspect didn’t bother me nearly as much last night, and I was able to better appreciate (I think) how finely constructed and incisive Scheinfeld’s portrait actually is. I don’t want to know the contractual particulars, but it greatly surprised me to hear that a distribution deal has yet to manifest. This film has it all — great music, a portrait of a great chapter in rock-music history, sadness/tragedy, intense emotion, some wonderful humor — on top of being a riveting cautionary tale. Anyone with an inkling of an idea of what musical genius is basically about, or who has any appreciation and/or respect for Nilsson’s songwriting and singing has to respond to this film. You can’t watch it and go, “I don’t get it” or “uhhhm, who cares?” Not if you have any life in your veins. Who Is Harry Nilsson? needs to show in N.Y. and L.A. theatres in time to qualify for the 2007 Best Feature Documentary Oscar, even if it means four-walling it. But that shouldn’t be necessary.