3. Training Day
This gritty police drama remains Hawke's one and only Oscar nomination, which is shocking considering his wonderful performances throughout the years. But his films have never garnered wide enough recognition to carry over into awards season. It also helps that Denzel Washington dominates his role as Alonzo, an evil LA detective who carries Hawke's Jake Hoyt along one long, draining, dangerous day in the streets of Los Angeles. What goes overlooked, or overshadowed by Washington's Oscar-winning role, is the evolution of Hawke's character. He begins green, excited and ready to become a detective. He ends drained and beaten by the corruption, but stronger as a man than he ever imagined he would be when the sun rose on this day.