We've received a press release announcing that Stephen Frears' adaptation of the Beth Raymer's memoir Lay the Favorite wrapped principal photography today.  The release includes the first official synopsis of the film and there are (unsurprisingly) some variations from the book.  While the book covers Raymer's rise through the ranks of sports gambling, the movie apparently adds romantic entanglements and drama that, going by the synopsis, seem awfully forced.  But with Frears at the helm and a cast that features Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Joshua Jackson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, I'm still interested in seeing this flick.

Hit the jump for the full synopsis.

(Please note that you'll have to scroll over the final line of the synopsis since it spoils how the movie ends)

“Lay the Favorite” follows unpredictable dreamer Beth (Rebecca Hall) as she goes from in-home stripper in Tallahassee to gambler’s assistant in Las Vegas, working for Dink (Bruce Willis), one of the most successful sports gamblers in the business.  She takes to the work like a natural, but makes the risky bet of falling for Dink, much to the chagrin of his retired showgirl wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones).  That bet goes south, and a triangular war ensues.

Against Dink’s protests, Beth goes to work for the flamboyant, unstable Rosie who runs a less-than-legal operation in New York City, then for his doomed hyper-speed online sportsbook in the betting Babylon that is Curacao.  When Beth’s risky gambles result in her innocent boyfriend Jeremy (Joshua Jackson) threatened with prison, she must reunite with Dink, face up to the fearsome Tulip, risk jail, and return to New York City to confront her responsibilities.  Can she beat the odds and win the day?

In the end, Beth rises to the occasion, saving her boyfriend and winning a stunner of a wager, for a whole lot of money, at the buzzer of a Nets game!