The best reality show this year had plenty of catty infighting, an abundance of petty competition and not a single sleazy suitor in sight.

For 12 utterly addictive episodes, HBO's "Project Greenlight" took us behind the scenes for the making of a movie.

That movie is "The Battle of Shaker Heights." And anyone who has followed its creation will expect it to be an unmitigated disaster.

What a terrific surprise, then, to find that the final result is - while undeniably slight - surprisingly sweet and smart.

A contest created by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, "Project Greenlight" offers new screenwriters and directors the honor of embarrassing themselves on national television while making a feature film.

This year's screenplay winner was Erica Beeney's wry coming-of-age story, in which a precocious outcast (Shia LaBeouf) struggles to survive high school and a miserable home life. The only things getting him through are his hobby of reenacting military battles and his crush on a sexy artist (Amy Smart).

LaBeouf does an excellent job, and the talented Beeney is one to watch.

But at barely 80 minutes, the movie feels more like an accomplished short than a fully realized feature.

Still, "Battle" represents a huge step forward from last year's winner, so here's hoping the contest gets greenlit again next season.