Christmas crackers: the best shows (plus top ways to escape the tinsel)
From the Nutcracker to American Psycho, from Mary Poppins to Kurt Vile, our critics pick their must-sees of the festive season
My commune childhood in Austria: I grew up to believe love was bad
Paul-Julien Robert was born into a free-love commune, where possessions and childcare were communal and family relationships weren't allowed. He explores his upbringing and the idea of family in a documentary film, for which he's just won a major award. Despina Ladi meets him
Why date nights are becoming an official issue
Norwegian minister Solveig Horne says couples should schedule nights of pre-planned romance to stem the tide of divorces, in a policy she admits was inspired by the Steve Carrell/Tina Fey movie
Joan Collins: My family values
The actress talks about her showbusiness family, her five husbands and why she never ignores her sister Jackie's advice. Interview by Angela Wintle
Mia Farrow: a vivid life always lived in the spotlight
Profile: The Hollywood star is always headline news – for her movies, relationships and extendend family. And her latest claims about the paternity of her son have reopened the bitter wounds from her split from Woody Allen
Jack Davenport: My family values
The actor talks about his 'Good Life' early in Ibiza and Suffolk, being the child of actors and his much missed grandmother. Interview by Vicki Power
Anthony Bourdain: My family values
The chef and author of Kitchen Confidential talks about growing up in a stable New Jersey home, where his parents taught him to love music and film. But then he became a 10-year-old druggie rebel. Interview by Britt Collins
Jane Seymour: My family values
The actor talks about her 'culturally spectacular upbringing', how she never refers to her children as stepchildren and the joy of being a grandmother. By Elaine Lipworth
Petula Clark: My family values
At 80, the singer recalls learning Welsh so she could talk to her grandparents and the difficulties of being a child star whose father was also her manager. Interview by Busola Evans
Not black and white: a photographic study of cerebral palsy
Sean O'Hagan: Love and hope are set against pain and frustration in The Distance Between Us, a still film collating Christopher Capozziello's studies of his twin's struggle with disability
Cats on a plane
Britt Collins and her husband adore their feline family, so when they moved to Los Angeles, the cats had to go too. Not the easiest journey to make ...
There are no final truths in relationships
Tim Lott: The film Before Midnight made me think about acceptance and resignation – and the difference between the two
Steve Carell: My family values
The comedian, now starring in Despicable Me 2, talks about how proud his parents are of his success and growing up as the youngest of four brothers. Interview by Elaine Lipworth
Sarah Polley: ‘Stories are our way of coping, of creating shape out of mess’
When Sarah Polley decided to make a documentary about the mother she lost as a girl, she had no idea of the extraordinary family secret she would unearth. She talks to Kate Kellaway
Choose a first name for Baby Rocknroll
Kate Winslet and Ned Rocknroll are expecting a baby. With a surname like that, they need to choose a strong first name. Here are our suggestions – share yours below