by Dylan, age 9, asks what Christmas movie featured Jack Black, about the Hill Country, and live music
Dear Santa,
Howdy from Austin. My name is Dylan and I am 9 years old. My family has a tradition of watching one silly comedy every December, usually something with a very loud, very funny actor in it, and this year my older sister swore up and down that a certain famous funnyman had once made a holiday special she loved as a kid.
My first question is: what Christmas movie was Jack Black in?
My second question is geography: what hill country region is near Austin?
My third question is from school: why is Austin called the Live Music Capital of the World?
I left you a breakfast taco, which around here counts as an acceptable snack any time of day.
Love, Dylan, age 9, Austin, Texas, USA
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Dylan, a breakfast taco is a very sensible choice, and I fully agree it works at any hour. Now, to settle your sister’s claim, and answer your other questions.
What Christmas movie was Jack Black in?
Your sister was remembering correctly. Jack Black appeared in A Very Murray Christmas, a comedy holiday special released in 2015, directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Bill Murray, featuring a whole string of well known guest stars, Jack Black included, popping in for musical numbers and comedy sketches set around a snowed-in Christmas television special. It is a quirky, fairly grown-up sort of holiday show rather than a typical family film, so it might be one worth watching together with the whole family present.
What hill country region is near Austin?
Just west of Austin lies the Texas Hill Country, a rolling landscape of limestone hills, rivers, and wildflowers, especially famous each spring for enormous fields of bluebonnets, the official state flower.
Why is Austin called the Live Music Capital of the World?
Austin earned that nickname because it has more live music venues per person than any other city in the United States, hosting everything from small local shows to huge festivals throughout the year. That deep, constant stream of live performance has shaped the city’s identity for decades, making music as much a part of Austin as breakfast tacos themselves.
Enjoy your family movie night, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
