Sounds good: The best sound that Elmhurst native Gary Rydstrom ever heard was when the Academy Award`s envelope for Best Sound Effects Editing was opened. When Rydstrom`s name was called, the only question left was whether he had won the award for his work on ”Backdraft” or on ”Terminator 2.”
Those gathered at the American Legion in Elmhurst for an Oscar-watching party last week couldn`t have cared less that it was for ”Terminator 2.” The 140 friends and family of the sound effects knew only that their boy had won an Oscar.
”He had a strong fan club here in Elmhurst,” said Gary`s dad, Roger, an Elmhurst dentist for the last 30 years. ”When we came home from the party, we listened to about 20 minutes of messages on the answering machine from people all over the country.
A few minutes after people throughout the world heard the 1977 York High School graduate thank friends and family on the live broadcast, they got almost an instant replay, as Rydstrom`s name was called again,, this time for Best Sound, again beating his competition with his work on ”Terminator 2.”
”It was one of the most moving events I`ve ever been to,” said Colleen Yaccino, an administrator for Elmhurst Dental Group, who attended the party.
”To see Roger and Barb (Gary`s mother) look at each other, to see their expression that that was their son, it was very special.”
